


Among Us

by MacandLacy



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Angst, Cannibalism, Demons, Dubious Consent, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Manipulative Hannibal, Mind Control, Mpreg, Possessive Hannibal, Suicidal Thoughts, Virginity, Will Finds Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-10-06
Packaged: 2018-02-08 00:49:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 38,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1920438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MacandLacy/pseuds/MacandLacy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannibal is indeed more than human....and so is Will.  This makes Will perfect for his plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nightmare_Child](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightmare_Child/gifts).



> This was completely inspired by the amazing story "Demon Seed" by Nightmare_Child, who has graciously given me permission to bounce off their idea. Please do be sure to read their story, and enjoy! There are many other fantastic stories at their site.
> 
> Story tags: Rape/Non-con elements, Mpreg, Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Dubious Consent, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Suicidal Thoughts (attempted self harm), First Time, Will Finds Out, Demons, Mind Control. I will try to label each chapter carefully and thoroughly.
> 
> NOT Beta read. If there is a kind soul who would be willing to beta for me, I would be ever so grateful.
> 
> This is my first story in this lovely fandom. Helpful comments are much appreciated!

Chapter One

Chapter Summary: Will discovers the first of Hannibal's secrets. This is from Hannibal's POV....other chapters will be from Will's POV.

Chapter Tags: Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Will Finds Out, Mind Control

**********  
**********

Will dropped his fork.

Hannibal raised an eyebrow and looked at the teacher, puzzled. For once their conversation had had nothing to do with murder, and they were instead discussing art. Will naturally did not have much of an Art History appreciation background, but he observed all things carefully and had proven to have many intriguing and fresh insights on art that Hannibal respected. It was very refreshing to have a pure and unbiased opinion when debating the value of various artists. Tonight they had been trading first impressions on a new gallery showing that Hannibal had dragged Will to and their conversation had remained light and comfortable over the meal at the doctor's house. So, really, what had brought on Will's latest fugue state?

He watched as Will's eyes focused briefly on their dinner plates and then flickered to Hannibal. The pale blue eyes, normally averted and so cautious in what they observed were now sharp and piercing. Will did not move, but Lecter could sense the small man mentally stepping backwards in time, reenacting his host's actions in his visions.

Ah; dear Will had figured it out. Delightful.

Lecter dabbed his mouth with the linen napkin and then leaned forward. "How did you see it, Will?" he asked. There was no need to ask what the profiler had seen.

Will's voice, when he finally responded, was soft but certain. "I kill for pleasure, and because it is simply my nature," he answered, his eyes again unfocused. "There are reasons for it, rules; it is not by chance or whim. I have always been this way, and always will be. Those I hunt deserve it, to my thinking. Nothing is random." Will blinked a little, and seemed to come a bit more back to the present. "The art," he said quietly. "Wound Man". He shuddered a little, but Lecter took no offense. Will, like any intelligent person, was allowed his own personal preferences. "I should have known earlier."

"I took great precautions that you would not realize prematurely, Will," Lecter assured him. Many of those precautions were too soon to reveal to the teacher. "I left only a few hints, to ease you into the knowledge. But you surpassed my expectations and saw the truth far sooner than I ever expected."

Will was breathing heavily, the smell of fear heavy in the dinning room. But not flight; Will was intelligent enough to know that flight was not an option for him now. He was healthier than he had been in some time, the headaches, insomnia and sleepwalking very nearly things of the past, but he still was no match for the Chesapeake Ripper.

It took a few minutes, but Lecter waited patiently while Will tried to get his breathing under control. "And now you will kill and eat me," Will finished, his voice calm, resigned.

Lecter frowned. "Absolutely not," he answered firmly. "You are correct in most things, Will, but on this, you are very wrong indeed." It was only the fact that Will did not understand that kept Lecter from being slightly offended at the notion. Will could of course not be blamed for what he did not understand.

Will actually managed the faintest hint of a smile, terror and the feeling that he had nothing to lose giving him some courage. "Just kill me then," he said. "I guess it is rude to eat colleagues, or those who have not done great offense."

"Wrong again," Lecter smiled, his thin lips genuinely turned in amusement and admiration for Will's strength. The teacher was terrified, but brave, and he would never show anything less than bravery and manners to Lecter. The Ripper appreciated that greatly.

"Then...what?" Will was confused, his brow frowned in concentration. Try as he might, he could no longer see anything. It was something that had never happened before, and Will was for a moment more curious than frightened.

Lecter tried to change the subject. "I don't suppose I can interest you in dessert?" The berries had been especially fresh and at their peak when Hannibal had purchased them that morning. He had a lovely trifle all ready to serve.

He really could not blame Will for the way the young man reacted. The teacher blanched, going even more pale than usual, and one look at his dinner plate and seeing Will swallow hard made Hannibal spring into action. He placed firm hands around the thin shoulders and in less than 10 seconds had Will in the guest powder room, Will vomiting all of the dinner that Hannibal had prepared. It was a bit of a pity, but again, Hannibal could not truly hold it against Will in any way. He held Will steady, supporting his head and shoulders.

When he was done empting everything in his cramped stomach, Will jerked away from the touch and Hannibal allowed it, watching Will curl up in the corner of the bathroom. He tried to offer Will a glass of water, and the profiler flinched away, somehow making himself even smaller.

"Just....do whatever....you're going to do. Now. Please," Will added, polite even in this circumstance. Hannibal's manners had rubbed off very well on the naturally polite man.

Hannibal sighed. "What I am going to do, Will, is get you a fresh bottle of spring water to clean your mouth. And a toothbrush." Will flinched a little again, perhaps his imagination going wild. But Lecter merely fetched the promised water and toothbrush, and left them on the sink counter. "When you are ready, come out, Will, and we shall talk. I promise that nothing bad is going to happen tonight. You will go home to your dogs, and all will be well. I merely ask for some of the your time before you leave."

The doctor paused, and then rested one hand on the teacher's shoulder. Will shivered, but did not move...there was really no place for him to run. "You will tell no one, Will, in any way, what you have learned. And when you are ready, you will come back to me."

With that odd statement, Hannibal left.

Lecter busied himself with cleaning up the dinning room and kitchen, making everything back to his tidy standards. He saved some of the fruit for breakfast, glad that it would not be wasted. He hated waste. It was not logical.

He passed the time wondering what Will was likely thinking. The powder room was completely internal, with no windows. The mirror was secure to the wall; the hand soap and lotion containers were fine porcelain, but too small and fragile to be practical as any sort of weapon. There was really nothing that could be used against himself or Will. It might take Will some time to accept that, but sooner or later, he would come out

It took less time than Hannibal would have expected (another validation that his Will was brilliant), until Will emerged from the powder room, pale and shaken, but obviously determined. Hannibal offered him a whiskey, which was refused. Hannibal also understood that Will preferred to stand, declining the offer to sit in the study.

"What are you going to do?" Will asked. Left unspoken was the addition "to me". Lector smiled indulgently.

"I already told you what will happen, Will. You are free to leave anytime you wish, but you will tell no one what you have learned. And when you are ready, you will return to me and we will take the next steps."

"Next steps?" Will's voice was almost shrill. "What steps can there be? You don't leave witnesses. There are no loose ends."

"You are not a loose end, my dear Will," Hannibal said, taking a sip of his own brandy. The aroma went very well with the fear still emanating from the teacher. "You have no need to try and understand everything tonight. It will come in time."

"Time?" Will was pacing, feeling free enough to wander about the room, although he seemed to understand the invisible boundaries Lecter had set. "You are giving me time?"

Hannibal sighed, knowing that all of Will's doubts and fears were of his own making. "Yes, Will, time. You deserve it."

The blue eyes were probing him carefully. "You are going to let me leave....alive," he said, his voice uncertain, unable to believe what he was seeing and saying.

"I am indeed."

"Why?" The tone was challenging.

Hannibal smiled slightly. "I have already told you that you will not tell anyone what you have learned. And when you are ready to listen and learn, you will come back to me."

Will took a step back, confusion and horror in his face. "How can you say that?" Will's imagination and empathy took a bound. "You will kill whoever I tell, won't you. Alana? Jack? My students?" He swallowed. "My dogs?"

Hannibal frowned, but again, he had to make allowances for keeping Will in the dark; it was only logical that Will's imagination would make wild leaps and assumptions. "I would never harm Alana unless she forced the issue; she is a friend. It would indeed be impolite. You will not tell Jack or your students. And as for your dogs," Hannibal sighed. "I promise that I will not harm them, Will. They have served you loyally, so as much as I find the hair and licking and drool distasteful, I cannot find fault with their devotion and service to you. I only demand that when they come here, they will be confined to the yard or garage." Hannibal seemed to consider for a moment, distaste obvious. "And perhaps certain parts of the house, but only on special occasions."

"When they come here?" Will looked truly confused now; confused and terrified, and Hannibal did not find it a good look on his Will.

"I think we have covered more than enough tonight, Will." Hannibal finished his brandy, appreciating the rich taste. "Go to your home, rest, and be with your dogs. When you are ready for more, you will return to me."

Will hesitated, clearly not knowing what to do. Then he carefully backed out of the room, his gaze never leaving Lector's until he slammed the door shut and raced out of the house. Lector just smiled as he heard the sounds of Will starting his car and then driving as fast as possible away from the block.

His Will would learn that he had no where to run.

TBC.......

************************************************


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of Hannibal's secrets are revealed...and Will's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Tags: Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Mind Control, Dubious Consent
> 
> Thank you, everyone for all the kind comments and encouragement. They are much appreciated!
> 
> And as always, thanks and homage and credit to Nightmare_Child for letting me bounce off their amazing plot bunny :-)

 

Will looked into the deep brown eyes watching him carefully, steadying himself. He took a deep breath, centered his thoughts, and cleared his throat to speak.

  
"Hannibal Lecter ---" the words died in his mouth.

  
He swallowed, and tried again.

  
"The Chesapeake Ripper --" again, he found he literally could not finish the sentence.

  
"Fuck!" Will threw himself back on the couch in frustration, covering his face with his hands. Beside him, Winston whined softly, his wet nose nudging his master, trying to console him, the canine's brown eyes full of compassion and love. The entire pack huddled around the man, offering what support they could.

  
Shit. Will couldn't even tell his _dogs_ what he knew.

  
He had tried to tell Jack, Alana; Hell, the server at Starbucks. Every time he tried to say "Hannibal Lecter is the Ripper", or any variation on that, his mouth literally froze. He couldn't speak until he changed his words. Trying to write a sentence produced the same results. Damn it, even sign language was off bounds for some fricking reason.

  
It was exactly as Hannibal had said that night; Will could not tell anyone.

  
Nearly two weeks had passed since that night, and Will had managed to avoid Lecter. Jack of course grumbled about why the doctor was not at crime scenes, and Will just mumbled some vague excuses. He didn't have a firm idea what he would do if he saw Lecter, but was fairly certain it would involve screaming and running and maybe gun shots. If he could.

  
This was insane, and coming from Will and his imagination, that was saying something pretty damn serious. What the fuck had Lecter done to him that he couldn't tell even his dogs? How had Lecter been so damn confident that he had let Will leave alive that night?

  
Plus, Will had not forgotten what else Lecter had said that night; that Will would come back to Lecter.

  
Damn if that was going to happen.

  
But three weeks later, the Chesapeake Ripper struck again. Will tried to ignore the message, but it was loud and clear as he saw the crime scene. It was a blatant scolding for Will to get off his ass and act like an adult and come see Hannibal. Naturally, he ignored it.

  
Two more victims later, and Will found himself at Lecter's doorstep. The message had been clear at each scene, firmly telling Will that the killing would escalate until Will came to him. Will had no choice.

  
He rang the doorbell of the killer....his friend.

  
"Ah, Will, good evening." Lecter smiled kindly. "Please do come in out of the cold." The doctor stood aside, letting the teacher enter, but was careful to not get too close to Will, giving the smaller man his space and control. Will did appreciated it.

  
"Shall we go to the study?" Lecter suggested. "A nice fire is going now, and I have some wine that I think you will enjoy."

  
Will bit his lip. "No, thank you," he managed to whisper. Lecter just nodded, and retreated to his study, knowing that Will would follow him.

  
Despite Will's decline, Hannibal poured two small glasses of wine, setting one on the end table by what had always been Will's chair. Lecter then relaxed back in his own chair and patiently waited.

  
"What did you do?" Will finally blurted out, unable to stay silent anymore. He was pacing around the room, practically wringing his hands in frustration. "I can't say what I know to anyone...not even my dogs." He said the last almost angrily. Damn it, no one interfered with Will and his dogs. They didn't have any secrets between them.

  
"Ah," Hannibal looked almost apologetic for a moment. "I forgot that you would try to confide in your dogs. I apologize; my command was rather all-encompassing, even to animals."

  
"What command?" Will's eyes were narrowed, but carefully avoiding contact with the killer. He paced back and forth, careful to keep the door to the study open and himself close to it. Hannibal was sitting back in his elegant chair, looking completely at east, but Will knew the Ripper could be on him at any second. He debated pulling out his gun and keeping it trained on the older man, but deep down Will knew even that would not help him much if Lecter decided to attack. Besides, it would be rude.

  
Hannibal was clearly in psychiatrist mode. "What do you think it could be?"

  
Will ran a hand through his hair. He had spent weeks debating possibilities and none of them made sense.

  
"It cannot be hypnosis; it doesn't work on me, and besides, I don't think any subconscious command could be so strong. It hasn't long enough for you to do some damn sort of brainwashing or give me any Stockholm syndrome. Drugs would have worn off by now, and again, the command couldn't be that strong."

  
"All very astute and accurate," Hannibal nodded in approval.

  
"And I'm damn sure I would have noticed if an alien or secret government conspiracy group put a chip in my head or something."

  
Hannibal snorted in clear amusement, not even designing to reply to such a wild statement.

  
"So what is it?" Will was about ready to pull the gun, regardless of guest etiquette.

  
"Will," Hannibal put his wine glass aside, and leaned back in his chair again. "You know there is only one way to understand. Look at me, and see."

  
"Oh, Hell no," Will backed away, hands raised defensively. "Not going to happen." He lost himself too much when he saw, and he could not do that around the Ripper. He would be nearly helpless. Ironically, it had been the good doctor who had been pulling him out of the seeing lately.

  
"Will," Lector's voice was stern. "You want to know; you need to know. At the risk of making it sound too grandiose, your empathy and seeing are the only way you can learn this. You will not believe it from me, which I know is only fair."

  
The teacher shook his head, now edging toward the door.

  
Hannibal sighed. "Will, take out your gun if it will make you feel better. For my part, I will remain seated, I will not harm you. But you need to see the truth."

  
"But the truth won't set me free, will it?" Will's voice was just above a whisper, but Hannibal heard.

  
"You may be surprised," Hannibal murmured.

  
Slowly, reluctantly, Will fumbled for his glasses, taking them off and putting them in a pocket. His hand hovered over the gun, and then moved on. Steadying himself, he lifted his chin, and allowed himself to see Hannibal Lecter.

  
It was...confusing. So powerful, so complicated. Most of the minds that Will walked in were twisted, but had their own logic. With Hannibal, it was different. His mind was simply.... _larger_...than anything Will had felt before. He scarcely knew where to begin.

  
"Focus, Will," Lector's voice was soft, guiding. "Start with the most recent." His hands were neatly folded on his lap, in clear view, and keeping his promise to remain still.

Will shuddered, but let himself be guided.

  
"You are the Ripper. There are other names for you as well, and some things that were never given a name. So many bodies....for so long...so long..." Will's voice trailed off and he shook his head a little. "My God, how old are you?" he breathed.

  
Lecter just smiled a little, his thin lips amused and he shrugged a bit.

  
"You hunt for pleasure, but more than that, it's a necessity. Food." Will swallowed hard, trying to not be sick. Normally he could walk through the worst of crime scenes and minds, and while he had never stopped being horrified by what he saw, it had never effected him physically until later. He was sick after every single case and moment of empathy, but he held it together until he was home where only the dogs could see him vomit for hours. But Lector's mind was so dark, so filled with so much, that Will felt his stomach churn. He had to take a deep breath before continuing.

  
"There are certain rules you follow. You kill the rude, or those who would hurt others without reason. Or simply those who bother you for any cause. But it's food, first and foremost. You cannot sustain yourself for extended periods without human flesh and blood."

  
Will turned his gaze so he was looking at himself, that night a month earlier when he had realized that Hannibal was the killer he had been seeking. "You have some sort of...power, or control. You can.... _compel_....people to do or not to do what you want. It's how you prevented me from being able to tell anyone. It's how you so easily take your victims."

  
"Partially," Hannibal allowed. "But also because my hunting skills are unsurpassed. I seldom need to compel my prey."

  
Will saw flashes of Hannibal hunting, with a knife, with a sword, with an ax. He pulled himself back to the present until he was facing the being sitting before him, his vision clear.

  
"You are not human. What are you?" he whispered.

  
Lecter inclined his head. "A demon. To some, one of the old gods. I do indeed have many names, but here and now, I am Hannibal Lecter."

  
Will tried to not hyperventilate, his vision blurring, but now with shock. "That's...impossible."

  
"What is, dear Will? That demons are among us? You already well that know that monsters walk among us on Earth. If you accept the belief in God and angels, you must accept the belief in the reverse."

  
"Demons among us," Will murmured.

  
"Indeed."

  
Will turned around, not caring now that his back was to the killer....to the demon. He was on the verge of passing out when firm hands rested on his shoulders. He cried out, automatically trying to fight, to get away, but Hannibal pulled him against his taller body with ease.

  
"Hush, Will, hush. Do not be afraid. I am not going to hurt you. Please, try to calm yourself. I just want you to sit down, alright?" Will struggled, but found himself effortlessly carried over to the matching wing back chair next to Hannibal's and guided into the seat. He flinched, terrified when a glass was gently pressed to his lips.

  
"Just a few small sips of water," Hannibal told him. "Concentrate on your breathing, Will, and come back to me. There is nothing to be afraid of."

  
Despite himself, Will drank the cool water, his throat welcoming the liquid. Breathing and swallowing, the most basic of human instincts; Will could do that right now.  
He had no idea how much time had passed before he was able to open his eyes and come back to his body. Lecter was back in his own chair, watching him with those inhuman eyes. Will shuddered at them, for the first time realizing that Lecter sometimes saw just as much as Will did.

  
"You are William Graham," Lecter said, his voice as soothing and guiding as it was in one of their sessions. "You are in my home in Baltimore, you are safe."

  
"And you are a demon," Will finished.

  
"I am indeed."

  
Despite himself, despite knowing that it was true, Will still had to challenge. "Prove it," he said, his tone accusing.

  
Hannibal raised an eyebrow, his expression torn between amused and offended. "I do not perform parlor tricks," he huffed in indignation. His eyes flickered. "And neither do you."

  
Will blinked. "No," he agreed, hesitantly. So many times people had confused his empathy and detective skill with some sort of New Age mind reading; it was insulting, to say the least. But in silly moments he had always mussed that if teaching at the Academy ever dried up, he could make it rich on a 1-800 Dial-a-Psychic line.

  
Lecter's lips twitched, as if reading his mind. "I think, my dear Will, that it is time you saw yourself."

  
"I see myself plenty," Will tried to counter.

  
"I do not mean your simple reflection. I mean, to _see_ yourself. For what you are, my Will." He leaned forward, and despite himself, Will found himself looking at those eyes again. But now, they were somehow reflecting back his own image, as if Lecter's red eyes were mirrors.

  
"I don't understand," he whispered. He saw himself, but there was something more behind his body's appearance.

  
"Demons among us, Will," Lecter repeated, his voice a murmur. "And, _within_ us. Specifically, within you."

  
Will felt his mind leap, and tried to stop it, but it was too late. "No," he choked, his vision blurring again. Hannibal leaned forward, grasping Will's wrist.

  
"There is demon blood in you, Will. It is where your talent comes from. Surely you understand that a mere human could not have such power. Men have jokingly called you a witch before, and you have never been able to deny it completely. You are different, Will, and not because of any mental disorder or such nonsense. You are different because you yourself are not fully human."

  
Lecter brought Will's hand to his face and slowly and deliberately smelled the delicate wrist.

  
"There are not one but two distinct and separate strands of other folk within you. One is fairly recent...a grandparent, I suspect. The other is more removed, but was a very powerful being indeed. This unique combination has resulted in your talent of empathy and insights that your mind can make. No mere human could do what you do, Will, and you have always known so, although of course you have never been able to speak of it."

  
"No." Will found he could not look away from Hannibal's eyes, seeing everything he said perfectly.

  
"Perhaps an example, one close to your heart, will help," Lecter smiled. "Your dogs, Will. Why do you think you have so many stray dogs, and such an understanding with them? They are drawn to you, to serve you."

  
Will blinked, trying to think, trying to see. "So they are....what? My familiars?"

  
"In a manner, yes," Hannibal agreed. "They have protected you in the past, and assist you in any manner they can. Companionship is essential to an empath, as you well know. You chose dogs as your best option, instinctively knowing that humans could not help you, and the animals responded to your need. They have been faithful and devoted to you, which I appreciate. And it is why I would never try to separate you from them."

  
"Why would I be separated from them?" Will had a very, very bad feeling in his gut. It was more than his empathy....whatever that entailed. It was something coming from Hannibal, like a decision that had been made long ago.

  
Hannibal smiled, one hand now gently brushing Will's curls in a soothing manner. "You will not be separated from them, Will, I assure you."

  
"You didn't answer my question." Will was vaguely annoyed. A memory flickered at the back of his mind. "You said something about them living in the....the yard? When they came here?"

  
"Yes, Will. When they, and you, of course, come to live here. I would never make you leave them behind. They will stay with you, to continue to serve and comfort you."

  
"Me....live here?" Will's voice was beginning to sound shrill with shock and stress. "I am NOT--"

  
"In time, you will live here, Will. You will be with me. That is not open for discussion."

  
"The H-Hell..." Will stuttered, lacking any frame of reference. It simply could not be. He started to fight against the touch to his hands, frantic to get away. He may have said something, but it was lost in Hannibal's soft words.

  
"Sleep, my dear. You have had many shocks tonight. I will take you home while you sleep, and tomorrow you will awake in your own bed with your dogs. I will give you some time again to adjust to these new revelations before we continue."

  
Will struggled, his mind refusing to quiet, and ultimately, slipped over into rest.

  
TBC.....


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Will discovers what Hannibal wants from him.
> 
> Chapter Tags: Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Mind Control, Non-Con, discussion of Mpreg

**********

The Chesapeake Ripper struck twice in the next week, and then Lecter sent Will an invitation to dinner the coming Tuesday evening. Will knew that Lecter had run out of patience, and the only way Hannibal would pause in his hunting would be when Will came to him. The profiler was terrified, but obediently arrived at the appointed time.

"Will, good evening," Lecter smiled as he ushered him inside, ever the courteous host. "Dinner will be ready shortly. Can I interest you in a glass of wine?"

"No, thank you." Will said, his voice just barely above a whisper.  He really, really needed to be sober for this.

Hannibal nodded. "Then, please, sit." The inhuman eyes studied the teacher carefully. "You have not been sleeping or eating, have you?"

"Bit difficult lately," Will muttered. Lecter sighed, but seemed to understand, damn him.

"Then we shall talk for a time before the meal. I know you have questions, and some answers may help you."

Despite himself, Will found himself sitting in his usual chair again in Lector's study, and reluctantly accepting a bottle of chilled spring water. The silence was oppressive, and it took Will a few tries before he could bring himself to speak. "What am I?" he finally asked, simply.

Hannibal smiled slightly. "A very unique being indeed. As I said, your heritage has two strands of other folk, plus Human, making you a nearly unheard of combination, and this has resulted in your gift." The maroon eyes closed for a moment, and Will knew that Lecter was scenting the smaller man. "Your non-Human ancestry is undoubtedly magical, and quite old. It would be intriguing to know more."

Will swallowed hard, his throat tight. "Demons?" he asked.

Lecter tilted his head in consideration. "There are many kinds of other folk, Will, and each society has given them names too numerous to count. Elves, sprites, fairies, goblins, giants, wendigo, witches, little folk. I believe one of your ancestors could be classified as a demon, although you should keep in mind that the word _demon_ does not necessarily always mean great evil." The psychiatrist smiled. "Truly, you should not worry too much over it, Will. You are what you appear to be...a kind, gentle being. There is no hidden monster within you."

Despite himself, Will felt his shoulders sag in some relief. He'd had vivid nightmares of himself hunting. The first day, he had even been afraid to be around the dogs, but the pack had made it clear that they had no fear of their master.

He took a deep nervous breath. "When I "saw" my first crime scene, an agent muttered that they used to burn people like me at the stake. I guess he was more correct than he knew."

"You have a powerful gift, Will," Hannibal countered calmly, "and you chose to use it for good; to catch those who do evil. Your conscious should be clear. You would never willingly hurt anyone. You also have your gift and passion for teaching, and this is commendable. No one should fear anything from you."

Will nodded, taking a sip of the water. "But you are different," he pointed out softly.

Lecter nodded. "I am indeed, Will. I am completely demon, no human ancestry at all."

Pale blue eyes flickered the Hannibal's face for a moment before looking away again. "You are very old," he observed.

The doctor chuckled a little. "It is generally rude to ask one's age, Will," he chided. "But yes, I am old, even by my kind's reckoning."

Will steadied himself, mentally preparing. "What do you want?" he asked simply.

There was a soft beep, and Hannibal glanced at his watch. "Right now, I want us to enjoy our meal, and we can talk more over dinner."

Food. Oh, God. "I am not eating meat," Will stammered.

Hannibal brushed the words aside. "Don't be silly, Will. Of course you are going to."

"I am going to become a vegetarian," Will countered, his heart pounding. "It's something I've wanted to do for a very long time. Be a vegetarian."

Hannibal actually winced. "There is no need for foul language, Will."

"What...vegetarian?" It was beyond absurd. The Ripper ate people, but thought _vegetarian_ was a dirty word.

"Your body needs proper nutrition," Lecter countered. He studied the teacher. "Have you not noticed that your headaches, sleepwalking and other ills have faded since you have been eating at my table? You were lacking adequate healthy fare for even a human, not to mention what your special heritage craved."

Will barely resisted the urge to race to the powder room to vomit. "Settle your mind and body, Will. I have prepared a simple meal, free of anything I have hunted, I assure you. The meat course is chicken, and while it is something you have greatly enjoyed in the past, I will not take offense tonight if you skip it. Now, come."

He felt like death, but Will quietly followed Hannibal to the dinning room and sat while the meal was brought out. The appetizer was vegetables and Will could barely bring himself to even look at the plate with the main course. But as he had promised, Hannibal said nothing.

Over the fruit and cake dessert, Will finally managed to speak. "You said that there are other demons among us." He thought of some of the worst cases he had seen. "I've chased many of them, haven't I?" Hannibal nodded.

"A great many. Some are aware that they are demon, and some are not. But not all killers you peruse are demon, Will. Human kind has more than enough of their own evil."

Will bit his lip, knowing that was true. He had seen into the minds of many who deserved no place on earth. Hannibal finished his wine, and then studied the teacher thoughtfully. "Let us retire to the study again, shall we? Then, I think it is time I answered your earlier question....what do I want."

Every footstep Will took seemed like he was walking to an executioner. But either by Lecter's compelling or Will's own faltering courage, he managed to follow the killer to the study and took his seat again. He twisted his hands in his lap, refusing to make eye contact. "Will," Hannibal's voice was surprisingly quiet and calm. Almost gentle. "Don't be afraid. Look at me, and tell me what you see." He learned forward slightly, but didn't try to crowd Will.

He tried to fight it, but Will found himself looking up. After a few deep breaths, he opened his eyes and looked. It took several minutes to organize his thoughts. "When we first met, you knew right away that I was....different." Will could not bring himself to call himself anything yet. Hannibal nodded, encouraging. "Its why you agreed to work with the FBI, so you could get to know me."

Will frowned, looking deeper. "In fact, you sensed that there was someone like me in the area, here in Baltimore. It's why you became the Ripper, to draw me out."

"Indeed." Hannibal looked pleased. "I could not see your face, but I knew the soul I was seeking worked with law enforcement....as if subconsciously trying to counter the work of demons. I hunt regardless, you understand, although most often in the past I have kept it discrete. But this called for something more blatant to draw your attention and lead to us meeting. And once we met, to draw you into my world."

Will shuddered. "You have been ... _grooming_ me, I think."

"Yes."

"For what? You aren't going to kill me, I can see that. But why would you want to meet me?"

Lecter raised one eyebrow. "I made it very clear at our last meeting that you will come live with me, Will. You will be my mate."

Will had to remind himself to breathe again after a minute, dread filling him. In a sort of haze, he saw the months since he had known Lecter flicker before his eyes. The doctor had introduced him to society, guided new sophisticated tastes and knowledge that Will had perfectly been away of before, but had staunchly refused to acknowledge. He had preferred hiding behind his humble teacher persona; Lecter had made him move beyond it in many ways. Dinner parties, the opera, every moment they had spent together had been for Lecter a "date" and a opportunity to mold Will to what he wanted. His perfect partner. Will wanted to run, to scream and deny it, but it was what he was seeing in Lector's eyes.

"Thank you, but no," he tried, as prim and proper as a Victorian maiden.

Hannibal was not amused but didn't seem to take great personal offense either. "Will, we have known each other for some months now. I made my decision shortly after I met you. Surely with your empathy you have been aware of a stronger relationship between us."

Will tried to not wince. He had suspected Hannibal wanted something, but had never allowed himself to think much on it. "It's what _you_ want," he finally answered. "I do not have any say in it?"

"I know what is best for you, Will." The doctor leaned forward. "Your headaches and night terrors have faded not due just to proper nutrition but also due to my care. You are healthier than you have been since you were a child. Many of your insecurities - caused by your unknown need to hide your true persona - have faded. You are regarded now as more brilliant than strange by your colleagues. They have begun to appreciate the true talent you possess."

Will mentally cringed, but could deny little of what Hannibal said. He had made remarkable "progress" - according to Alana - since he had been seeing Dr. Lecter. Will had always been considered brilliant and useful by the FBI, but also more than a touch unstable and erratic. In recent months, even the jokers in the lab had shown markedly more respect for Will, and Jack was obviously delighted in the teacher's new-found stability. It made him more useful, after all, but also far easier to convince others of Will's abilities in the field. Will had always been acknowledged as a perfect teacher and writer, but his use by Jack at crime scenes had been questioned until recently.

Will had become a clear and acknowledged asset to the FBI, and to many others. He had also been introduced and accepted by society as a "friend" of Hannibal Lecter. Few if any would question a deeping of their relationship. Hell, half of Baltimore society and the crime lab was simply _dying_ to know what was going on between them.

Shit. He had let Lecter trot him around at a few dinners and events, and now he was forever linked with the doctor. And to the FBI, he was not functional without Lecter. Will could run back to his life before, but only at great cost to himself. He knew he had been on the verge of breaking before Lecter had found him.

"But that's....not all, is it?" he finally managed to observe. Lecter wanted him, but there was more behind it. "If you just wanted me as a partner, then you could have chosen to not tell me about....things. You could have simply compelled me to never realize that you are the Chesapeake Ripper, or that you are a demon, and that I....am different. There is a very specific reason you told me your secrets."

"There is indeed," Lecter agreed. "I need you for what you are, Will. You are brilliant and beautiful by any standards, and I would desire you regardless, but your heritage makes you perfect."

Will didn't want to ask, but knew he had to. "Perfect for what?"

Hannibal paused, and learned forward, one hand rested lightly on Will's shoulder. "Look at me, Will," he commanded, and Will obeyed. Lecter smiled at him, looking proud.

"You will bear my child."

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will learns of Hannibal's ultimate plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***There is attempted Self-Harm in this chapter, though it is brief. Please be aware of this tag. I know it causes many emotions.***
> 
> Chapter Tags: Suicidal Thoughts (attempted Self Harm), Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Mind Control, Non-Con, discussion of Mpreg, Hurt/Comfort

**********

"That's im-impossible."

"It is very possible, Will, and it will happen in time."

Will was frozen, every instinct screaming at him to run, but for some reason he wouldn't move from the chair. "No." He managed to pull his hands free and covered his ears, instinctively trying to physically shield himself from the words. "Hell, no, its not possible."

"Will," Hannibal kept a hand resting gently on a thin shoulder, trying to help ground the teacher. "It is indeed possible, given my powers, and your ancestry. We can have a child together." Will shook his head almost violently in denial. "There is nothing to fear in this, Will. You will not be harmed in any way, I promise. I understand it is an enormous shock, and I don't expect you to believe me now, but no harm will ever come to you. And in time, we will have a child."

Will had to gasp to breathe now. "So you're a demon, I'm.....whatever I am, and now you want a child?"

Lecter sighed. "As I said, enormous shocks. I have tried to space them out, to not confront you with everything at one. But this is the last, I promise. This has been my plan - my design - since I met you, Will."

Blue eyes narrowed in furry, Will not needing his empathy to see. "And if I say no?"

Beside him, Hannibal began lightly petting the dark curls. "I hope you will see reason in time, and accept this. I have long desired a child, Will, but lacked the perfect partner until I met you. You refuse to acknowledge it, but in a way your dogs have also been a substitute for the stability of a family that you internally crave. This our way, Will. It is as it should be. Other folk are not meant to live in total secrecy on Earth, without contact with those of their own sort. You would be unable to sire a child with a human woman; this is your only opportunity to have a child, which I know you have wished for in the deepest private corner of your mind, but never felt able to achieve. Together, our child will be perfect."

Will shook his head. "No," he repeated stubbornly. "I am not going to....let you do that. I am not going to become your partner and I'm sure as Hell not going to..." he waved his hand vaguely, not able to say the words.

"Be reasonable, Will. This is for your benefit as well as mine."

Will jerked away from the doctor's touch still on his shoulder, and Lecter allowed it. "Forgive me if I fail to see it that way," he hissed.

"You will, in time."

"By compelling me? Yeah, 'cause that's going to be the only fucking way."

Lecter sighed. 'I will not compel you, Will. I do not desire a shell or mindless partner. But it will happen. I will give you time to adjust."

Will saw a flash. Hannibal meant what he said, and he would not take no for an answer.

"Time before you rape me?" Will's voice was sharp.

Red eyes flickered. "If necessary, yes," Hannibal said quietly.

Will waited until Lecter had leaned back his chair, and then he moved.

Hannibal had left out the two wine glasses; they were still sitting on the small round table between the chairs. Without hesitation, Will grabbed a glass in each hand, and then smashed the fine goblets against the table, shattering them, but still clenching jagged pieces of the crystal in his hands.

He sprung away from the chair, knocking it over, and faced Lecter, who had leaped from his own seat. "Don't touch me!" Will screamed, holding the large pieces of broken glass to his throat. He backed away, unknowingly and uncaring, into a corner. "Don't try to touch me." He was pretty sure that Lecter had to physically touch him to be able to compel him to anything. He pressed the jagged shards of glass to his arteries, feeling them almost breaking skin. He had no real hope that Lecter would let him go, or even change his mind about wanting a child. This was not an attempt to force Lecter to let him go. His death was all Will could think now that would be his only way out of the plans that Hannibal wanted.

"William!" Hannibal's voice was sharp, the use of his full name unusual. "Drop your hands immediately." His voice sounded throughout the room, echoing off the paneled walls.

"No!" Will struggled, feeling something trying to wrap around his body and mind. He tried to force the shards against his throat again, but his hands were no longer obeying him. Then Lecter was on him, Will's wrists trapped in claw-like grips, forcing him to open his hands and drop the pieces of glass. He fought, but it was like he had been enveloped in a thick, heavy blanket. Lecter simply held the profiler against his body, Will's back pressed against his chest, letting Will's own struggles tire him out. Will tried every fighting trick he knew, but nothing worked. Finally, nearly sobbing, he went limp, exhausted.

"Will," a whisper and a soft kiss was placed by an ear. "I don't know weather to be proud of your determination, or dismayed at such a desperate action." There was a long sigh. "Perhaps a bit of both, yes?"

"Fuck off," Will whispered back, his eyes closed.

Lecter made no reply, but instead effortlessly picked him up bridal style, and carried Will upstairs, his arms far too tight around the thin body for Will to escape. The ease with which he was carried made it clear to Will that the Ripper was far stronger than he appeared.

Will opened his eyes to see Lecter carrying him into a huge master bedroom. His breathing grew panicked, but Lecter walked past the bed and into the equally elaborate bathroom, sitting the profiler down in a chair, then pushing the chair close to the sink. A heavy towel was thrown over his shoulders, and then Lecter guided Will's hands under the running water. The doctor frowned as he studied the cuts, cleaning them; it stung, but Will ignored the pain, not able to feel too much of anything at the moment.

"Thankfully, you do not need stitches," Hannibal finally decided. "But there are some slivers of glass to be removed." He took out a large first aid kit, and Will remained impassive as tweezers gently dug out the tiny shards. When Lecter was satisfied, he filled the sink with cold water and a disinfectant wash and made Will soak his hands while he examined the teacher's throat. Will had managed to scratch himself, but there was only a few drops of blood that the demon cleaned carefully and applied two small band aids.

Lecter was quiet as he carefully dried Will's hands, and then wrapped them in heavy gauze after applying ointment. Will kept his gaze on the floor, unmoving. He heard Lecter sigh, and then the killer knelt in front of Will, placing large hands on his shoulders.

"Will, look at me." The voice was quiet in volume, but still had the commanding tone as before. Will didn't even try to resist, and raised his head to look at Lecter. "You will never harm yourself again, do you understand? You will do nothing that could bring yourself any harm. You will also eat what I prepare for you from now on."

Will shrugged, nearly without emotion. "Any other _orders_?" He knew he had been compelled, and it was unbreakable.

"Do I need to give more?"

Will looked down, not able to meet that dark gaze. "Not at the moment, no." He had no more fight in him for right now, and they both knew it.

There was an amused sound from Lecer, almost like a chuckle. "Very well. Then let us try to get through the night, shall we?"

Oh, God; the night....here.

"My dogs!" Lecter glanced up, his head tilted in question, and Will swallowed hard. "I'll stay, I'll do....what you want. But my dogs..."

"Ah," Hannibal stood up, and began to ease the jacket off Will's torso, careful of the bandaged hands. "While you soak in the tub, I will call on someone to go check on them and make sure they are fed for the night. They will also check on them in the morning."

"They won't have a key --" Will stopped, seeing what Hannibal had meant. Whoever he was sending would have no need of a key to enter his house. If he'd had the strength, Will would have been amused at the cliché: Lecter had minions.

"Do not worry. It is someone who has served me well in the past, and is genuinely fond of dogs. You will see your pack again tomorrow, Will, I promise. And all that will happen tonight is that you get some proper rest."

Yet again, he had no choice. Will nodded tightly, and didn't say anything more as Hannibal effortlessly stripped him. The huge tub was filled with some foaming soap, and Hannibal held onto Will's elbow carefully as the teacher climbed into the water. Lecter admonished him to be sure to keep his hands dry, placing towels on the edge of the tub for Will to rest his hands on, and left Will in some peace.

Will closed his eyes, too drained to care anymore. Lecter was correct in that the shocks had taken a lot out of Will, and empathy told him that Lecter was sincere that nothing else would happen that night. There wasn't much else to do right now except try to rest. Maybe his mind would work better after some honest sleep. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the built-in pillow.

Hannibal returned after about 15 minutes and Will just opened his eyes in vague interest. He knew he should resist, to fight, but he simply could not find the strength to do so. He would let Hannibal do whatever he wanted. The demon knelt down beside the tub and filled a large pitcher with water, then put a supporting hand under the back of Will's head. "Dunk your head; we need to wash your hair." Will obeyed, taking a deep breath when he was brought safely back up.

After he was clean to the doctor's satisfaction, Will was helped out of the tub, dried, and assisted into blue silk pajamas. Naturally, they fit him perfectly, Hannibal having obviously planned for when the empath would join him, and Will flushed but accepted them. Hannibal simply smiled and led Will back to the bedroom where covers were already turned down on one side of the huge bed.

It felt strange, being basically tucked into bed, but Will didn't argue. He accepted the pills Hannibal placed in his mouth and obediently took some sips of water, though he looked at the pills questioningly. "Painkiller and antibiotics only, I assure you," Lecter said calmly as he pulled a pillow out from behind Will's shoulders and helped him lie down, adjusting the pillow to support the bandaged hands.

Will closed his eyes, listening to the faint sounds of Lecter taking a shower and then joining him in bed after turning out the lights. He grew rigid when Hannibal laid a hand on his shoulder, and Will pointedly turning on his side facing away from the demon. Lecter merely moved the large pillow again to make sure Will's hands were safe and then settled quietly beside him, close, but not touching.

Even in the dark, even with his eyes closed, Will could see some things, flirting at the edge of his mind and refusing him peace. "When? He asked dully. "I mean, how long until you will want...."

"When you are ready."

Will grimaced. "That's a _never_ then."

"I see no need at present for a specific timetable. Our child will be born in due course." Will could feel Lecter smiling. "We first have to establish our relationship, naturally. People will be surprised that we are now together officially as a couple. Give them time to gossip over that. We must follow a few societal norms. A story of our deciding to become a couple must be told."

"Love at first sight?"

"If you wish."

"I don't, actually."

Hannibal chuckled softly. "Then allow me to handle that. I doubt that people will expect you to gush over details. Beverly Kratz will try, of course, to get details out of you, but simply continue to brush questions aside as you do and I will spread the news."

Will snorted. "And how will we explain me suddenly being preggers?"

There was a soft sigh against his neck. "In time, we will announce that we are adopting a child from friends of mine in Europe. When you begin to show, we will say that you have left to fetch the baby. Paperwork and such will take time, of course, so you will be absent for a few months."

"And I'll be a prisoner in the house."

"The time will pass quickly," Hannibal consoled.

Will sighed quietly. "So very well planned."

Fingers touched his hair, and Will barely resisted flinching away. "I leave nothing to chance, Will. You know this." A light caress, and then the hand left his curls. "Rest now. We shall talk more tomorrow."

Will stared into the dark, anger and fear twisting him until he obeyed the command.

TBC.....


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Refusing Hannibal something that he wants is never a smart idea; even for Will. The dogs settle in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Tags: Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Mind Control, Non-Con, discussion of Mpreg, Hurt/Comfort
> 
> THANK YOU so much for all the wonderful and kind comments and kudos!

*****

Hannibal raised one eyebrow as he studied Will's hands the next morning. "You heal very quickly," he observed.

Will shrugged, not really giving a damn. "Wow, empathy and healing. Joy." Hannibal smiled a little.

"I would have thought that these cuts had occurred one, perhaps even two, days ago, not just last night. Another benefit of your heritage, clearly."

"And the hits just keep on coming," Will muttered, steadfastly refusing to make eye contact with the demon.

"An advantage; hardly a 'hit'," Lecter countered. He applied some waterproof bandages to the worst of the cuts, but left most of them uncovered, satisfied that they not re-open for the time being, and nodded. "Take your shower, Will, and then I will re-bandaged the rest before breakfast."

Will seethed, but did as told while Lecter went to finish the late breakfast preparations. To his surprise, it had been nearly 10:00 am by the time he had awakened, Lecter assuring him that calls had been made to excuse Will's absence from his morning classes. The teacher gathered that over breakfast he would get the briefing story that he would have to spin to Jack. As if he could tell anyone the truth.

Standing in the shower, he grimaced, trying the words out loud to see if they would sound any less outlandish when spoken. "Well, you see, Jack, Dr. Lecter is the Chesapeake Ripper, plus he's really a demon, and so am I - kinda. And I got a important question for you - would you be willing to be the godfather?" Somehow, Will suspected that Jack could handle the Ripper, Demon, and likely even the baby just fine, but would freak at being a godparent.

Well, Hell, now a days, it could be really any combination a parent wanted. Maybe Alana and Beverly as two godmothers. Especially if the future baby was a girl. They would so kick-ass with a goddaughter to mentor and spoil.

Shit.

Will banged his head against the shower wall, literally trying to knock some sense into himself. He really needed a dose of normal reality, or at least what might pass for it. This was too unreal. Fishing, yeah. He needed to go fishing. Preferably in the Bering Strait. For six months.

Dressed in his clothes from the night before, Will contemplated trying to sneak out of the house. But just has he started down the stairs, Lecter appeared. "Ah, good. Let's re-bandaged your hands while the omelets set, shall we?"

Glaring, Will followed Lecter into the downstairs powder room when the rest of his hands were tended to. "What did you tell Jack?" Will asked later as they ate. Will was concentrating on the fruit and eggs, and staunchly ignoring the meat. He prayed it was beef sausage.

"That you cut yourself on a broken glass," Lecter said sensibly. The simplest and easiest story was also one that was the most true. "Then, given the lateness of the hour, I insisted that you spend the night; we were discussing a case until past midnight. You do not have more classes until late this afternoon, and have been noticeably busy on the FBI's cases the past few days and nights, so Jack could not argue against you having a morning off."

Will raised an eyebrow, pausing in his next bite of fruit. "That's...it?"

Now it was Lecter's turn to frown a little in question as he regarded the profiler. "I mean, you said we would tell people....we.. that you and I.....damn." Will wanted to crawl under the table from embarrassment.

"Why, Will," Hannibal smiled evilly. "You want me to start bragging about our affair already? Surely new lovers are allowed some discrete time for privacy, but if you insist--"

Will resisted the urge to throw a piece of toast at the doctor, but only just barely. "You know what I mean!" he snapped.

Lecter chuckled. "I do indeed," Hannibal agreed, taking pity on the blushing teacher. "Calm yourself, Will, I will say nothing for a time and simply let their imaginations and own gossip begin the story. Bit by bit, we can drop a little more here and there. I suspect, though, that we will have to say very little. A few nods and smiles will spread gossip very sufficiently."

"Yeah, doubtful about that when I don't want to have anything to do with you," Will muttered.

Lecter sighed a little. "I understand your feelings, Will, I truly do. It is usually never easy accepting one's destiny."

"Destiny?" Will snarled. "What you want is not my destiny."

"How do you know that it isn't?" Lecter asked in a reasonable tone.

"My destiny, if there is such a thing, is catching monsters...like you. Trust _me_ , I know."

"Why? Because it is the only thing that you feel you have been successful with?" Lecter leaned back in his chair, regarding the younger being. "It is no doubt a large part of your destiny, I agree; but how do you know that you were not born for another purpose as well, Will? To be with me. True soul mates are not unheard of among other folk. When I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one I had been looking for."

Will shook his head. "How very nice for you," he muttered. "But didn't work on my part. And it won't."

Lecter nabbed at his mouth with the linen napkin, putting it down back by his pate. Then quick as a snake, he grabbed Will's wrist. The young man jerked, trying to pull away, but Lecter's grip was unbreakable. "There was more than that, I know, dear Will. Tell me what you thought."

Will closed his eyes, struggling, but the words came out. "I didn't like or trust you at all," he finally said, his voice soft but resigned. "Then I thought maybe having to see you wouldn't be so bad; it just might help me catch the killers faster. Then," He clenched his teeth for a moment, but then had to speak. "Then I thought we could be friends. I didn't really want to be - it's easier for me to NOT have friends - but..." he breathed a sigh of relief when Lecter let his hand go free.

"Lacking friends makes it easier for you to hide yourself, Will," Hannibal said. "Not easier to survive and thrive. It was a necessary defense mechanism you built, and it served you well enough for a time, with your dogs assisting, but now it is no longer needed."

"You are not my friend," Will hissed. "And I am not yours."

Lecter tilted his head. "Are not mates friends?"

"We are not...either one of those," Will countered.

"We _are_ friends, Will. Friends who have had a disagreement, yes, but still, friends."

He couldn't help it; Will started to laugh. "We are not friends," he gasped, partially in near-hysteria. "And calling this a disagreement is the most understated thing I've every heard you say." He was so angry, he had to laugh before he started screaming.

Lecter just smiled, not contradicting the teacher. "Finish your breakfast, Will," he said simply.

Will complied.

**********

Rather to his surprise, Will was "allowed" to spend the night at his own house, huddled with the pack. He had taught his afternoon classes calmly, and then rushed home, locking all the doors and windows. It just made him feel better. He was slightly creped out wondering who had seen to his dogs that morning and the night before, but to his surprise, everything looked perfectly normal and tidy.

Will had always drawn the line at letting the dogs sleep in bed with him; not for his benefit, but for theirs. His nigh terrors and sweats were likely not good for them. But that night they all piled in with him, and Will could not find it in his heart to resist. It felt good, to be cuddling with them. They kept him company, safe and undemanding, and to his surprise he managed to sleep well.

His classes the next day went well, and all Jack asked him to do was review some case files that a police department had sent in, asking for assistance on a local killer. Will read through the reports at his desk, and composed a fairly simple profile for the detectives to consider. The crime scene photos didn't suggest anything too unusual to the empath; most likely it was someone with a grudge against the victims....and was likely human. This killer was nothing like Hannibal.

Unbidden, in the back of his mind, Will had over the years complied a little ranking scale of the killers whose minds he walked in. The Chesapeake Ripper had already been at the top of the list, now Will mentally edited his list, switching Hannibal's name for the Ripper.

He fidgeted with his papers and plans for the next days classes, sweating bullets and wondering if he was going to be somehow damned compelled to go to Lecter's house. Just as he was thinking about packing up his briefcase he received a text. Nervously, he opened the message.

_Come tomorrow after your classes. Pack a bag for the weekend. Bring the dogs - Hannibal._

Oh, shit.

With dread, he dutifully showed up the next day. He had received a second text, advising him to park in the open garage. As soon as he had pulled in, the electric doors closed behind him, a visual sign of his sort of imprisonment. He staunchly ignored Hannibal when the demon entered the garage from the house's attached mud room, and concentrated on getting the dogs organized and out of the car. Will didn't normally keep them on leashes, but had decided to act with a bit of manners, figuring it was best to not completely antagonize Lecter by allowed his motley strays to roam wild. Still, it had been tempting to get the dogs all muddy before piling in the car and see how much havoc they could inflict on Lecter's pristine garage.

The pack recognized Hannibal as a friend who gave them tasty treats, and happily pulled Will toward the older being. Damn it, even his own dogs were now suddenly against him. Will couldn't get a break.

"Welcome," Hannibal said to the teacher and the dogs. "There is a place prepared for the pack in the backyard." Will just nodded, and let the dogs drag him through another door to the outside.

Will had to blink a few times once in the backyard. He had never been out in the yard itself, but had taken a few after dinner drinks on the patio. The yard was quite large, even for the posh neighborhood, and completely fenced in and tidy. It had always looked perfectly normal. Now it was still immaculate, but several things had been added that Will was certain had not been there before. A row of expensive, fancy, kennels lined one side of the patio, protected from rain and snow by the terrace roof. Large food and water bowls were neatly organized nearby, and sitting in huge wicker baskets (of all things) were enormous pile of new dog treats and toys. Will unleashed the dogs before they could go totally nuts, and let them run around, checking out the new smells. The pack was practically beside themselves with excitement as they explored, running around, racing back to Will to check in, and then bouncing back to the yard. One of the older dogs checked out the kennels, woofing softly in obvious approval at the plush beds tucked neatly inside the dog houses, while Winston took charge of going through the toys.

Will couldn't decide how to feel, and finally figured it was best to be polite, it nothing else for the pack's sake. "Thank you," he said quietly. "This is really nice. You didn't have to do all this."

Hannibal smiled. "Nonsense, they are loyal creatures, and they should be comfortable in their new home....as should you. The kennels are heated, and in severe cold weather we can see about them staying in one of the sheds, if necessary." He cleared his throat discretely. "All I ask is that you do pick up after them."

Will tried to not smile, and didn't fully succeed. "I'll try," he agreed. He didn't want to like what Hannibal was doing, but again, for the pack's sake, he was grateful. He knew it was a step to endure himself to Will, to try and make him feel more comfortable, and he didn't really like it. He didn't _want_ Hannibal to be kind; to make it seem as if he was normal, as if the situation was normal. It wasn't. Nothing was going to change that.

Hannibal nodded at the bag of dog food that Will had brought. "Why don't you spend some time getting them settled in and fed? I will call you when dinner is ready."

"Alright."

Will spent the next hour concentrating on feeding and playing with the dogs. It was almost a normal routine, and one he had always treasured. He found a outside tap and filled the water bowls after their meal, and spread around some of their familiar toys that he had brought. Of course, the pack ignored most of the older items, and concentrated on the fancy new toys and treats that Hannibal had provided.

"Damn it," Will muttered. "Listen, you are not allowed to turn on me too, you understand?" Winston looked guilty for just a second before claiming a new favorite toy. "Seriously? You can be bought for toys?"

"I do not expect the same of you, Will," a soft voice spoke behind him. Will jumped, and found that Hannibal had reappeared on the patio, looking as calm as always. He nervously got to his feet, trying to not look at the doctor.

"Good," Will muttered. Hannibal just smiled.

"I took the liberty of taking your bag to the bedroom, Will. Why don't you change before dinner?"

He really, really wanted to saunter into Hannibal's pristine dinning room in his dog fur covered clothes, reeking of dog food and drool (and maybe even dog poop), hot and tired after a long day at school, but Will found himself nodding and going upstairs. His panic attack hit him while he was in the shower. Had he chosen to do this? Or had Hannibal? What was his own mind deciding, and what was being controlled? He slumped to the bottom of the shower and huddled there, trying to control his breathing.

_I am Will Graham. It is Friday evening, and I am in Doctor Lecter's house. He is a demon and the Chesapeake Ripper._

The litany was not soothing, but he managed to pull on his jeans and get back downstairs, hyperventilating all the way.

"Will?" Hannibal looked honestly started as Will burst into the kitchen, his wet hair wild around his face. The doctor turned off the oven burner and held out a hand, clearly uncertain.

"Did you compel me?" Will's voice was bordering on hysteria. "Did I do what you suggested....what you wanted? Was it me or you making decisions?" Blue eyes looked wildly around, struggling to understand.

"Oh, my dear Will," Hannibal sighed. He approached Will carefully, like Will would approach a new stray, holding out one hand to try and encourage the frightened being to come to him, to trust his touch. "Will, breathe, just breathe. There is noting to be afraid of."

Will chocked on his laughter. "Nothing to be afraid of? Other than you being a killer, and what you want from me?" He was near hysteria and backed into a corner, slumping to the ground, resting his head on his arms.

Lecter knelt beside him, close, but not touching. "Will, listen to my voice. Breathe me with. In.....out. In....out." It took a few minutes, but Will found himself following the exercise, and even that made his stomach lurch in fear. "Will, what brought this on? You seemed calm earlier--"

"Did you make me?" Will gasped, his voice ragged with fear. At the puzzled look in Lecter's eyes he made himself continue. "You told me to clean up. I never do that at home....my home." He reached out suddenly and grabbed Lecter's jacket, the first time he had ever touched him voluntarily. "Did you make me?" he practically screamed.

"Will," Lecter sighed, looking truly regretful. "No, I did not. Please, calm yourself; listen to me. I have not ordered you to do anything today. Nothing at all, much less something this simple." Hannibal smiled at him, tying to make light of the insane situation. "Do you really think that I would use my powers so something so petty as making you take a shower?"

Will pondered that for a minute, trying to bring his breathing under control. "Yeah, I wouldn't put it past you," he said finally.

Lecter clucked, looking rather offended, but didn't argue any further. Will looked up at him, his eyes wide. "Please, don't compel me anymore. I don't understand what I am doing or why I do it. I need to know what is real, what I have chosen."

"Your design," Hannibal said in understanding. Will closed his eyes, nodding in misery. "Ah, my dear one. Look at me, Will, please." There was a long pause, Will barely able to breathe, waiting to see if it would be his own design or not. "It is entirely your choice, Will, I promise, but I would like you to look at me."

Will finally hesitantly opened his eyes, still not knowing what was his choice and what was commanded. Cautiously, telegraphing all his movements, Lecter brushed his fingers lightly against Will's cheek, and then carefully sat back on his knees so they were not touching. "Will, I promise that I will not compel you unless I truly feel it is for your safety; such as the other night." Lecter's eyes fell to the single bandage that remained around Will's right hand. The other cuts had already healed to faint lines. "You have my word on this. If for any reason I do feel it necessary to compel you, I will tell you openly first, and hope that you will decide for yourself what is best. But I will never make you do anything unless it is truly necessary." Ageless eyes smiled a little at the young being. "You do not have to take my word for it alone, Will. _See_ me."

Slowly, Will looked up, his eyes making reluctant contact. He could see danger, evil, and many other things in Lecter's mind, but dishonestly with Will now was not one of them. He felt that he shouldn't believe it, but inside his own mind, he knew it was true. Hesitantly, he nodded.

"Good." Lecter looked pleased, almost proud. "Now, if you wish," he said carefully, emphasizing the words, "I could use some assistance with the appetizers."

TBC.......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be travelling for the next 2 weeks and may not be able to write/post. Will do my best and will definitely continue once I get back home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A deal is struck. Will fights domestic bliss.
> 
> Chapter Tags: Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Mind Control, Non-Con, discussion of Mpreg, Hurt/Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for all the kind comments, kudos, and bookmarks. They are MUCH appreciated!

 

Will re-filled his coffee cup, hating the fact that the loved the new blend.  He also hated that it was a beautiful sunny morning and he and Lecter were taking coffee after breakfast and reading the newspaper on the patio while the dogs frolicked in the yard.  Lecter was reading the Society section of the paper and Will had claimed the Sports.  The crossword puzzle was still being argued over.

 

Shit.  This was so...... _normal_.

 

It was scary.

 

The evening before had been fairly normal too.  Dinner (Will satisfied that it really was fish), then reading until deciding to go to bed.  Lecter had been a perfect gentleman, not touching Will once during the night.  Will was certain of this because he had not slept at all, and had clung to the edge of the wide bed, putting as much space as possible between him and the demon soundly sleeping next to him.  Will had even erected a line of pillows between them and damn if Hannibal hadn't been openly amused when he saw the barricade.

 

"Shall I brew a fresh pot?" Hannibal asked, seeing Will looking longingly at his coffee cup.  "You did not sleep so I assume large amounts of caffeine are in order."

 

"Yeah.  Thanks."  Lecter nodded in agreement, and went back into the kitchen.  When he returned 10 minutes later, Will had claimed the crossword puzzle, and - just to be an ass - he was working it in pen.  The doctor frowned, and Will mentally scored himself a smug hit.

 

"What would you like to do today?" Lecter asked.

 

"Do?" Will eyed him suspiciously.  

 

"Yes, Will, one generally does something on a lovely day off, although it need not be extravagant.  I was going to suggest a drive, but we could also simply enjoy the day at home."

 

Will shrugged, trying to not scowl at the word "home".  "I don't get many weekends off; Jack usually drags me around the country."

 

"He does indeed."  Lecter look rather displeased.  "Then how about we simply relax this afternoon, and tonight there is a concert we have tickets for."

 

Another date in public.  Fantastic.

 

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly.

 

Minutes passed in silence, Will concentrating on the crossword while Lecter finished the rest of the newspaper.  Then the doctor sighed and regarded the empath carefully.

 

"Will, I can smell your fear and anger.  I know this is to be expected, but I would like to try and alleviate it.  I have promised I will not compel you without your knowledge.  What can else can I do to demonstrate my good intentions?"

 

Will's fingers clenched around the pen, looking at the paper that was now meaningless to him.  _Let me go.  Stop killing.  Don't....want a child from me_.  All things that he knew would be a waste of time to ask.

 

But surely there was something.

 

All his life, Will had never regarded himself as necessary.  He would lay down his life for anyone, convinced it would be for a greater good.  His work and teaching were important, yes, and he knew he could catch murderers that no one else could.  But in the larger scheme of things, he would sacrifice himself to help someone in need.

 

He took a deep breath, and looked Hannibal in the eyes.  "Don't kill the innocent. And help me catch those who do."

 

Hannibal raised one eyebrow as he considered the request.  "And would that make you feel better? It is an even trade in your mind, isn't it?  If it helps others, you will gladly give yourself....even to me."

 

Will swallowed, and nodded.  

 

"William," Hannibal looked almost fondly at him as if Will were sweetly naïve.  "And would that bring you some peace of mind if I agree?"

 

"Yes."  
  
Lecter leaned forward and brushed gently fingers against Will's cheek.  "So very noble."

 

Will made himself hold still, accepting Lecter's touch.  "Will you do it?"

 

"I generally do not kill the innocent now, William."

 

" I'm not saying that you demand virgin sacrifices," Will retorted tartly.  "But you kill the rude.  Being rude alone does not make someone deserving of being murdered."

 

"An interesting notion," Hannibal mused thoughtfully.  He considered the matter for a moment, leaning back in his chair, and then nodded.  "Very well then, I will not kill anyone who has not themselves committed murder.  I will hunt only those who hunt people.  And I will of course continue to help you see and catch those monsters among humans.  If this makes you feel better, I will follow your request."

 

Will's shoulders sagged in relief; he'd truly not been able to see what Hannibal would say to his request.  "Thank you," he murmured. 

 

Lecter nodded graciously, then studied the younger being.  "This does bring up an interesting topic, Will.  Are you going to regard yourself as a virgin sacrifice to me?"

 

Will tried to not flinch, and failed.   

 

"Ah, I see."  Hannibal at least had the grace to look neither amused nor smug.  "Yes, I have long assumed that you are not experienced with men.  How true is this of women?"

 

"That is not your concern."  Will was nearly ready to bolt, and only Lecter's hand suddenly resting on a shoulder kept him seated.

 

"William," Lecter smiled at him, his expression still kind without being condescending.  "I do need to know, for your own benefit.  But I see the answer."  He gently squeezed the shoulder.  "Your empathy has made it too difficult to have risked such intimacy in the past, I understand.  You made a difficult but wise decision considering the circumstances.  But there is no need to fear that between us.  Our joining is meant to be."

 

Will jerked away and took up his pen again, eyes focused on the crossword, and refusing to acknowledge the conversation anymore.

 

Hannibal smiled, and settled in to enjoy the day.

 

*****

 

The concert turned out to be a benefit for a children's orphanage, with performances from the students themselves.  Will mentally sulked; damn Hannibal.  Even Will could not in truth bitch about doing something that helped children, and he knew it was a show of their public relationship, plus a subtle reminder to Will what Hannibal ultimately wanted.  The doctor did have a way with children, chatting with them after their performances and generally making the rounds.  The teachers were obviously thrilled at having such a emanate physician clearly endorsing the charity and the society matrons who usually paid just lip service at such events were clucking in approval as Hannibal let a young child claim his lap.

 

All in all, quite a successful evening for the doctor.  Will spent most of his time trying to hide with the shyer students in the corners of the room.  It was actually kind of nice, Will totally empathizing with them and feeling very non-threatened.  He could tell that most of the society people thought he was ever-so kind and sweet to spend time with the "special" children.  He wanted to vomit.

 

Back at Lecter's house, Will immediately loosened his tie and helped himself to a nightcap of scotch.  Hannibal just chucked.

 

"Was it really so awful; spending time with children?"

 

Will glared at him.  "I know what that was," he muttered.  

 

"A step toward acceptance, I hope."  Will shook his head.

 

"Not hardly."

 

Hannibal smiled a little.  "Then I will continue my efforts," he said.

 

Will ignored him, and went out to check on the dogs.  Playing with them helped to calm his emotions, and when he returned Hannibal was in the study reading, soft music playing.  Reluctantly, Will joined him, wanting to put off the inevitable going to bed as long as possible.  An hour passed in almost comfortable silence before Will felt eyes starring at him, and he sighed and put his book aside to glance at the demon.  Hannibal regarded him thoughtfully.

 

"William, is it really so bad?  Is what we shall have so hard to accept, given what you know now of your nature and mine?  There is much good that will come of it.  I promise you that you and the child will want for nothing; you will both be safe and loved and protected."  Lecter honestly looked sincere, and part of Will believed him.  "It will not be the broken home of your childhood, William, I know this troubles you.  You and our child will be cherished and we will be the family you have always sought to have."

 

Will fidgeted with his glasses, looking down at the carpet.  "It is not my design," he answered.

 

"And does that make it so dreadful?"

 

"What is dreadful is that I don't have a choice; you have made that very clear."

 

"Ah," Hannibal nodded.  "You value choice and control, since in truth you have had so little of it.  Your empathy makes you doubt your actions, never certain if there are of your choice or influenced by others.  And given the evil minds you walk in, this makes you doubtful of yourself."

 

"And what would you suggest to help me, _Doctor_?"  Will scowled, still studying the carpet and not wanting to meet Lecter's eyes.

 

Hannibal smiled again.  "Nothing dramatic," he answered.  "Just continue as we have.  I have given you my word that I will not compel you to actions, and will not hurt the innocent.  Now, perhaps, a _quid pro quo."_

 

Will swallowed hard, nervous.  "I'm here, aren't I?"

 

"You are," Lecter acknowledged.  "As are your dogs, and I understand the faith and trust that requires from you.  But perhaps another small step tonight."  Will looked up, his eyes wide, and Hannibal held up a graceful hand.  "No, Will, nothing extreme, I assure you.  Simply allow yourself to rest tonight, to sleep beside me without fear."  He tilted his head thoughtfully.  "Surely, that is not too much to ask?  To trust me?"

 

"Trust?"  Will clenched his fists.  "That is a ..... debatable....notion."

 

Hannibal nodded.  "It can be indeed.  We were friends before, were we not?  We can be again, if you will allow me.  Let me earn some new trust from you, yes?"  He stood and held out a hand, letting Will make the choice.

 

Will hesitated, his mind confused.  They _had_ been friends; Will would have said Lecter was really his only friend.  He had trust him.  Now to discover all the insane things that Lecter had cultivated in him, wanted from him, it was so hard to let any trust or friendship back.  But did he really have a choice?  He was nearly resigned that he could not fight Hannibal on anything that he wanted, and he trusted the man's word that Lecter would not hunt the innocent.  He had made a deal, and perhaps allowing some small trust was part of it.   He finally inclined his head in the faintest of nods.

 

He couldn't quite bring himself to take the doctor's hand, but Hannibal seemed to understand.  The older being turned off the lights and then very gently touched Will's shoulder, asking him to stand.  Using only the lightest of finger touches on his shoulder or small of his back, Lecter guided Will upstairs, letting the profiler set the pace.  Will hesitated when they entered the bedroom, his breath coming faster, and Lecter placed both hands so carefully on his shoulders.  

 

"Trust, Will," he whispered.  "It cannot be automatically given, only earned.  I want to earn back some of your trust, if you will allow me."

 

Will struggled to control his breathing, looking around the huge room.  It wasn't a crime scene, there was nothing he could sense that was evil or wrong.  Even the being behind him, whose true nature he now knew, was non-threatening at the moment.

 

He had to try to trust.

 

"This is actually the third night you have been here, Will.  The first night, you may remember, I saw and touched your body, and nothing occurred.  You were in shock, and if I was going to take advantage of you, that would have been the time, but I did not.  Last night you were so angry and uneasy that you would not sleep.  There is another choice, Will, to allow yourself to be at ease.  This can be your design."  Hannibal's voice was soothing in his ear, his words causing some of the dark curls to move.  

 

_ My design.   _ Will closed his eyes; reopened them to still see no evil, and nodded.

 

Lecter guided him to the bathroom, gesturing at the pajamas already laid out on the chair within.  "Ready yourself for bed; I will stay out here."  The voice was warm and friendly, comforting and reassuring.  The door closed with a firm click  behind the profiler, giving proof to Lecter's promise.

 

Will undressed and took a shower to clean himself of the dog hair and saliva that always accumulated after setting the pack for the night.  He refused to look in the mirror as he brushed his teeth and changed into the silk pajamas that had become his pair.  Actually, there were many clothes that Hannibal had bought for Will that filled the huge closets of the master suite.  Will was more or less "allowed" a few changes of grungy clothes for when washing or playing with the dogs, but everything else was of the highest quality.  He felt kind of bad for the nice clothes having to hang next to the cruddy ones.

 

The master bedroom was so huge that there was a small reading area near the windows, and when Will emerged from the bathroom Lecter smiled and gestured to one of the chairs.  "I brought your book up," he said kindly.  Will nodded, and sat down, trying and failing to concentrate on the pages while Lecter took his turn in the washroom.

 

Will was still staring at the same paragraph when Hannibal joined him.  Gentle fingers took the book from his hands, and laid it on the small table.  His glasses followed, and then warm hands guided him to stand.  Will couldn't meet Hannibal's eyes, but also didn't resist as he was led to the bed.  Covers were pulled back and Will obediently laid down, trying to not flinch when Lecter joined him after turning off the lights, gently pressing against Will's back, spooning him.  Will tensed, but relaxed a tiny bit as Hannibal merely laid down so their bodies were just barely touching; nothing threatening about it.,

 

Lecter cuddling.  Who would have thought?

 

Will snorted a little as fingers gently brushed his hair.  "What is amusing?" Lecter asked, his voice curious.

 

"You're petting me like a dog," Will pointed out.

 

Hannibal chucked.  "I apologize.  But your curls are rather tempting."  The fingers continued their petting and massage, Lecter sensing that Will was not necessarily objecting to the action.  

 

"Curly hair is a pain in the ass if your a guy.  Girls are jealous.  Old ladies constantly patting your hair, and saying that curls are wasted on boys.  Look like you're wearing a clown wig if you get caught in the rain.  It's annoying."  Will shifted, getting more comfortable.  Despite himself, he was growing sleeping, even his insomnia prone body agreeing that it was ready for rest.  The bed was amazingly comfortable, and even his mind seemed ready to sleep without nightmares.

 

"Do curls run in your family?"

 

"My dad, yeah.  Don't know anything about my mother's side."  Will's eyes closed in contentment as the fingers worked magic on his head and neck.  He didn't think about how those fingers had killed so many people, just about how good the massage felt right now.  He was beginning to drift, and it was so nice.

 

"Ah," Hannibal pressed the lightest of kisses to Will's neck, Will not even noticing.  "Boy or girl, I hope that our child inherits your curls."

 

Will sighed, rubbing his cheek into the pillow, letting sleep claim him.  "It's a pain," he repeated with a mumble.

 

Just before he fell asleep, Will realized that he was resigned and almost accepting to Hannibal's plan.

 

TBC.....

 


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will makes a bargain with a demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There is discussion of Child Abuse and Murder in this chapter. It is not descriptive, and is hopefully brief, but still, it is there.
> 
> Chapter Tags: CHILD MURDER, Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Will Finds Out, Mind Control, Dubious consent
> 
> Many thanks to Poinsettia for their lovely insights and ideas. Your help and kind words were much appreciated and provided great inspiration! 
> 
> And as always, thanks and Tip of the Hat to Nightmare_Child for their help and generosity.

********

Time passed, and Will was really quite surprised at how easy it all was.

As Hannibal had predicted, everyone at the lab quickly assumed that they had started a genuine relationship. Will wasn't positive, but he suspected that money had exchanged hands in some sort of bet between Price and Zeller. It irritated the profiler that so many had such an interest in his personal life, but he guessed that was what people did. At least nothing too direct was said until Beverly cornered him at his desk one morning,

"So, what's it like knocking boots with Dr. Hannibal Lecter?" she asked eagerly.

Her timing was unfortunate, as Will had just taken a deep sip of hot coffee. To her credit, Beverly apologized and helped to clean up the mess from spitted coffee on student papers. She did still repeat her question, though, albeit using more delicate language. Will demurred to answer and ran to be at his next class early.

Jack didn't say anything to Will directly (for once being downright discrete), but Will knew that Jack was watching him for any sign of trouble. But amazingly, Will's mind continued to be clear, he had no sleepwalking or missing time, and he continued to catch all the bad guys that Jack set him to. The director couldn't really try to claim concern that a personal relationship with the good Dr. Lecter was "bad" for Will.

After several months, things fell into a routine that was almost comfortable. Will and the dogs stayed at Hannibal's every weekend and often one or two nights during the week if possible with Will's cases. This was at Lecter's insistence, and Will grumbled but usually didn't win. He had come to reluctantly accept that he truly had to pick his battles with Lecter. The doctor seemed honestly agreeable to some things Will asked for, or at least willing to compromise, but on other topics he was unmoving.

Such as them sleeping together.

Lecter moved slowly, taking care to not frighten the empath, but knowing who and what Hannibal truly was certainly didn't make things easier. Will had a hard time accepting even chaste kisses and gentle arms holding him at night when he knew what Lecter ultimately wanted. But Will put up with the "sleepovers" - as he mentally termed them- in return for putting off what might be inevitable.

Will argued and some nights nearly pleaded, but Hannibal was firm that they would soon have a child. In full teacher mode, Will wrote down arguments and prepared lectures about why that was a very bad idea. Hannibal indulged him, sitting quietly and paying attention, listening respectfully while sipping a glass of wine, and of course, it was to no use.

"Why do you resist so, Will?" Lecter asked one night. The demon seemed genuinely curious at Will's continued resistance. "You and our child will be protected and cherished, you know this. I have no intention of restricting your work and teaching. You have often longed for a child and now we will have one. You will never be separated from the child…or your dogs. If you will open your mind, you’ll find that it will be quite wonderful."

"It's a gilded cage, but still a cage," Will murmured.

Lecter considered a moment. "Safety and love is not a cage, William."

"Love?" Will had to bite back a laugh. "You think you can talk about that?"

"Why not?" Lecter queried. "I have emotions, William, in my own fashion. And one of them is love for you, and of course, I will love our child."

Will flinched a little. "I don't love you," was all he could answer.

Hannibal inclined his head in acknowledgement. "I presented you with many shocks that disrupted your building trust in me. I only hope that you keep an open mind and allow acceptance in time."

"No," Will whispered flatly. Lecter sighed.

“That is not logical, Will. Consider what has occurred so far: You have come to no harm, and you never will. Your work is more successful than ever before. We will be a family, which I know you have wanted – stability, security and a sense of truly belonging. You are even healthy now after my care and proper nourishment.” Will flinched at the reminder of what he now ate. He didn’t ask – and Hannibal didn’t offer – what the meat was in their meals. He wanted to resist, to not eat any meat, but he had been compelled, and it was unbreakable.

“It is not my choice,” he answered stubbornly.

“Ah, William,“ Hannibal smiled a little. “When people chose, they often chose wrong.”

“I want that to be my choice too.” Will slammed his book shut and went outside to check on the dogs.

Despite the arguments, Hannibal was being very careful and gentle with the progression of their relationship. Other than sharing a bed and a few chaste kisses, he did not insist on any intimacy, and he respected Will’s boundaries in most areas. He also handled all the queries from people wanting to know details about the couple, which was fortunate.

It was embarrassing and downright painful at times, but Hannibal insisted that Will accompany him to at least one social event each week. Will kept to his proven success plan of hiding in corners as much as he could, but he was dragged out sooner or later. The sheer number of events the “new couple” was invited to was staggering. Will pushed his luck and manners one night, snapping at Hannibal that between his psychiatric practice and all the damn social events, he had no idea how Hannibal had _time_ to be the Ripper. Lecter just laughed, taking no offense, and guided the teacher down the stairs and to the car. He insisted that the public outings were necessary to establish their relationship.

And of course an established relationship would be needed to explain the "adoption" of a child.

Hannibal remained a gentleman, but Will could sense that tension was growing as the months passed. He replayed the words from the night Will had learned the extent of Lecter’s plans – that he hoped it “wouldn’t be _necessary_ ” to rape him to conceive the child. Will didn’t know what he was going to do.

********

Will fumbled opening the door to his house, just barely making it inside and to the bathroom before he was sick. Even after the meager contents of his stomach were gone, he remained, shaking and coughing, lying down on the cool tiles of the floor.

He had seen all sorts of violations and depravity. He walked in the minds of killers….and he slept next to a demon and killer. But this…..this was beyond what even his experience could handle.

_Children_. Innocent children, tortured and murdered.

The call had come to the bureau when local police found the bodies. Identifying them would take time. Will supposed vaguely that he had handled it better at first than some of the officers and agents, most of whom broke down at the scene, but when he had pictured the crimes themselves, he had been overwhelmed. Jack had held his shoulders steady as he was sick, for once not urging him to look more, to find _more_. It wasn’t that Jack didn’t want to find the person responsible right away; it was simply that Jack understood that this crime scene would tax Will’s recent stability and clarity. Jack himself was clearly not handling it well.

The rest of the team hadn’t fared much better. Beverly had tears in her eyes as she processed the bodies at the scene, and Zeller and Price were utterly silent as they worked.

Will regretted the sips of water that he had taken after he was ill at the scene. He coughed, and tried to vomit again, only to have dry heaves.

By now the dogs would usually be around him, offering comfort and support, but it was a Saturday, and they were at Hannibal’s, where Will had been when the call had come in. Lecter was out shopping, and Will had simply left upon hearing the urgency in Jack’s tone. Jack had tried to prepare the team before they went inside, but there was really nothing that could prepare one for what they had found.

Will curled up on the bathroom floor, wishing for his dogs, his pack. He needed their help to deal with this. Shakily, he closed his eyes, praying that he wouldn’t see what the killer had done. He tried to calm himself, to just drift and not think. His mind balked, fighting him, and he covered his ears, trying to block out any sensation.

Yes, it was best to just ignore everything right now. To be alone. To not think or see anything.

He drifted for a time, deliberately withdrawing into himself, not wanting to see anything.

It took a while for him to realize that he was no longer alone.

“William!” It was Lecter, his voice calm and soothing, trying to draw him back. Large hands picked him up and cradled him against the doctor’s chest. “Your name is Will Graham. It is 6:07 Saturday night. You are at your home in Wolf Trap.” When Will didn’t respond, the doctor calmly repeated his words, drawing Will back to awareness.

It hurt.

“No!” Will struggled, not ready to leave the quiet just yet. “Leave me alone! I don’t _want_ to know.”

Hannibal shifted him, picking him up effortlessly as if Will were a child. “Listen to my voice, Will. You are safe. You are in your home.”

“They _weren’t_ safe!”

Lecter hesitated for just a second before continuing down the hallway to Will’s bedroom. “Who were not safe, Will?”

“The children.” Will bit back a sob. “They weren’t safe or at home.” He gagged, and Hannibal paused, making sure Will would not choke. “And you want to bring a child into this world?”

“Our child will be protected.”

“The parents thought their children were too.”

Hannibal paused again. “I understand,” he finally said.

Will was laid down on his bed, a warm body joining him. He wanted to resist, but the offer of comfort overpowered his usual reserve and he curled against Hannibal’s larger body, instinctively seeking safety and warmth.

Will denied it, but in truth he did crave comfort and stability, all things that he not felt during his childhood. In adulthood he was actually a bit glad that he was isolated as it was all he was used to, and his empathy made relationships dangerous.

Hannibal had torn down those walls, and insisted that Will’s talents were a gift, and not a curse.

He fought, he argued, he resisted, but deep down, Will hoped it was true.

Now, he willingly allowed Hannibal to hold him, to pull him close to him and make him feel safe. He didn’t think about the killer than Hannibal was, or what he wanted. All he could think was that this was what it was to feel safe and protected.

Hannibal didn’t say anything; just simply held Will, occasionally running a hand gently through his hair. It was comforting, and Will felt himself returning to his mind and body and for once, was not worried.

After a long time, Will lifted his head and looked Hannibal in the eyes, puzzled. How had the demon known to find him here? Why wasn’t he angry? “Did you think that I ran from you?” he asked, his voice rough from the vomiting. He was curious, but not afraid.                                                                                                                       

“You could not run, Will,” Hannibal answered, and Will frowned, wondering what that meant. There was a hint of a smirk on Hannibal’s face. “Not without your dogs, and they are still at the house.”

Will sighed, but had to acknowledge that was a true statement.

“I called Jack when you did not answer your phone,” Hannibal explained further, his voice calm. “He did not tell me everything, just enough to know that you would need to disassociate from the killer as soon as possible. I guessed that you would come here out of habit.”

Will nodded, closing his eyes, and didn’t object when Hannibal tucked his head under the older being’s chin. “I don’t know if I can see that again,” he confessed. “It wasn’t normal. There was so much terror, so much pain…..I think—“ he hesitated, and Hannibal stroked his hair, encouraging, but not pushing. “I think for a while I was seeing though the victim’s minds, and not the killer.”

Hannibal’s arms tightened slightly. “That is a possibility,” he conceded. “I have wondered why you see though the killer’s mind before the victim. There is nothing right or wrong in this; just a curiosity. One would think that the emotions would be equally powerful. Perhaps you are just tuning into the force with more power and control when you see a crime scene.”

Will tensed, his heart leaping. “ _Could_ I see through the victim’s mind?”

There was a pause. “I do not see why not.”

“Can you teach me?”

“William, I –“

“Can. You. Teach. Me?” Every syllable was spit out.

Arms tightened around him again, cocooning him. “I believe so. As I said, I do wonder why you see the killer first. It is likely the power and control at the scene that you sense at the beginning. With training, I think you could pick your focus.”

Will nodded, and raised his head, fighting against Lecter’s hand, so he could look the demon in the eyes. “Help me find the person responsible for this. And when we do, I don’t want them to live.”

Hannibal just nodded, his expression impassive.

“And then—“ Will swallowed tightly, his voice ragged. “And then I’ll do what you want.” He laid his head back down, trying to regain his breath. “You won’t have to rape me.”

*****

Eight days later, Will stood quietly in the corner of the lab, watching as the body was processed. It was horribly mutilated, clearly tortured before death, but blood and semen proved that it was the killer of the children. It was considered a stroke of luck that the murder had been found so quickly.

Beverly turned away from the deceased, clearly dismissing the body. “Seriously? Are we even going to waste time on finding who killed this scum?”

Jack made a show of straightening his tie. “The Bureau has a responsibility to investigate all crimes,” he reminded them solemnly.   His lips twitched in distaste. “Not a responsibility to treat all crimes with the same priority,” he finished, and then left the room, his meaning clear.

Keller looked over at the others. “So, it seems that an avenging angel took care of this for us,” he remarked.

In the corner, unnoticed, Will shook his head. “An avenging demon,” he whispered.

TBC….

 

 


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Conception (but not like you might expect).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Tags: M/M sex, Dubious consent, Mpreg, Drug use, Sex with a unconscious person, Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Will Finds Out, Mind Control

**********

“Thank you.” Will stood in Lecter’s office, very unsure what to do or say. He had come right from the lab to the doctor’s office.

Dark eyes flashed a bit of red as Hannibal regarded him. “You are welcome,” he said quietly, putting away his notes and straightening his desk for the night. Hannibal had worn a dark red suit that day, and Will couldn’t help but think about the blood that had been missing from the victim’s body. “I assure you that it was a pleasure to rid the Earth of him.”

Will shifted nervously, twisting his hands. “You acted on this; that is what I asked.” He tried to not stammer, and failed. “And I…I’ll do what….what you—what I—“. He was terrified, but he would keep his promise.

“William,” Hannibal looked almost kind as he calmly approached the younger being. One hand cupped the side of his face gently. “Calm down, it is alright.” Will nodded stiffly, nervously looking at the floor, not knowing what to expect. “Will, please look at me.”

It took a moment, but Will finally managed to meet Lecter’s gaze. The demon had a faint smile on the corner of his lips, but it was gentle, and not mocking. “William, when you made your offer, you were greatly distraught, and understandably still are troubled with this case. I am not so magnanimous that I will release you from this offer, but I am also not such a monster that I will not hold you to it immediately.” Fingers started rubbing the back of neck reassuringly. “I told you at the beginning that I would give you time, and that still holds true.”

Will flushed, not having any idea what to think. “But—“

“Hush.” Lecter brushed a thumb carefully over Will’s lips, and the profiler stilled. “It would be rude,” Hannibal chided. “Not to mention unchivalrous.”

Numbly, Will nodded, accepting the reprieve. Lecter moved his hand to pet the soft curls, and Will swallowed hard. “When?” he asked simply. Hannibal wasn’t insisting on _tonight_ , but Will knew it was going to be soon. He had to know, to be aware of his day of reckoning.

Hannibal moved so their bodies were close, arms guiding Will to rest against the older being’s chest. Will tensed, but didn’t resist, now more used to this physical contact from the nights Lecter held him close, but never hurting. He could feel Lecter take a deep breath of his scent against his hair and neck. “Go home tonight and be with your dogs,” Hannibal said softly, his words whispered in one ear. “Rest this week, and know that one less monster is among us now.” Will swallowed, understanding.

There was a pause, and then lips touched Will’s skin. “Friday,” Lecter kissed the back of Will’s neck. “Friday, you will come to me.”

*****

Will spent the next days in a complete automatic daze. He was sort of amazed that he didn’t crash his car at times. But he was also amazingly calm….eerily so. He had made his choice, and would honor it. And despite what some could say was a lack of judgment, he also knew that Hannibal would honor his word.

The students were filing out from his last lecture Friday afternoon when a familiar form appeared in the doorway. Will swallowed nervously, and tried to gather his papers without his hands shaking.

“Come to get me yourself, have you?” he said to Lecter.

The doctor smiled. “I was informing dear Uncle Jack that he would not need to call on your services this weekend. You deserve some time off.”

Will paused in putting on his glasses, honestly shocked despite all that he knew about Hannibal. “You can compel _Jack_? Seriously?” Despite everything, Will could not help but be impressed. “Wow, you really are a demon.”

Lecter chuckled. “It does take all my power,” he said solemnly.

Despite himself, Will had to smile a little as he finished packing his briefcase. It was normal now to actually have to sort of fight against bantering with Hannibal in a friendly, familiar way. He still didn’t _want_ it to seem normal for them to get along.

Lecter walked beside him calmly, relaxed, as they went to Will’s office. The profiler nervously finished straightening things, gathered up his laptop and materials he needed to prepare for the next week’s lectures, and then decided he couldn’t stall any longer. He pushed up his glasses and tried to look at Hannibal.

“I’ll just go home quick, and –“

“There is no need,” Hannibal said smoothly. It was unlike him to interrupt and Will frowned a little.

“I have to get the dogs,” Will pointed out.

“There are already at the house.”

Will couldn’t help himself; he starred at the doctor. “You let them get in the Bentley?”

Now it was Hannibal’s turn to stare and look openly shocked. “Absolutely not,” he sniffed. “A very reliable Pet Taxi service collected them a few hours ago and they are awaiting you at home.”

“Pet Taxi?” Will pondered this for a moment, mentally adding it as another job that he might actually be able to do if the FBI ever got smart and kicked him out.

“Yes. Now, shall we?” Hannibal gestured polity to the door.

Once outside, Will started automatically looking for his car, but Hannibal put a hand on the small of his back and guided him gently but firmly to the Bentley. “Allow me,” the doctor said with courtly good manners, even opening the door for the teacher. Will shuddered, but didn’t resist.

The drive to Lecter’s house was quiet except for some soft classical music playing from the CD. Will spent the time trying to gather his wits and courage, knowing he would need them for the night. Beyond the basics, he had no idea what to truly expect that night, and his stomach was churning with nerves. For his part, Hannibal was too polite to act smug, but there was a very definite air of satisfaction. And why not, Will conceded. He was getting everything he had set out to have.

At the house, they fell into the usual routine of Lecter preparing dinner, and Will went out to the dogs. They were happy to see their human, and kept him occupied, giving his mind some time free from worry about what would happen soon.

When Lecter called that dinner was nearly ready, Will took his cue to go wash up and change. He couldn’t meet the eyes of his own reflection in the mirror, nerves nearly making him sick. He took a deep breath and reminded himself firmly that he had chosen to do this tonight. Amazingly, after months, he was accepting what Hannibal had planned from the very beginning.

Dinner was a seafood gumbo, which Hannibal knew was one of Will’s favorites. It was perhaps a bit of a bribe, or an offering to make try to make Will happy, and he accepted it, grateful for anything approaching what was their new normal routine. Still, Will hardly tasted the food, his mouth too dry to truly appreciate even Hannibal’s cooking. Except for Hannibal asking a few bland questions about his day, and Will making polite automatic replies, they ate mostly in silence.

But not without non-verbal undercurrents.

Will was keenly aware of maroon eyes watching him during the meal, Lecter’s gaze never leaving him. It made him even more nervous, making Will think of the snake watching the mongoose lurk under the house.

“I’m not going anywhere; please don’t stare,” Will finally found the courage to say.

Hannibal inclined his head. “I do apologize Will, that was very rude of me.” Will accepted the apology with a slight jerk of his head. “Please forgive me, but you are most….intoxicating…tonight.”

Will blushed, and looked down at his plate. He didn’t know what to possibly reply to that.

“William.” Will looked up, not making eye contact, looking at a point past Lecter’s shoulder. The older being looked almost kind. “It will be alright,” he promised quietly. Will just looked down again. “Are there any questions I can answer for you about what is going to happen?”

The profiler took a generous sip of wine, and found his voice. “Can you control…I mean, will I be…pregnant….right after tonight?”

“Yes.” Hannibal’s tone was very satisfied.

Will nodded, and helped himself to another sip. He didn’t know whether to feel sort of glad that it would be over and done with tonight and maybe Hannibal wouldn’t…want…him again, or freaked that by morning he would actually be _pregnant_.

“It is more difficult to accept me than to resist me, isn’t it, Will?”

The profiler pondered the words for a moment. “Maybe,” he conceded. He hadn’t thought about it that way before. He did long to fight Hannibal, even though he knew it would be useless. Still, it would be undeniably satisfying to some part of Will’s ego if he went down with a fight.

“You made an intelligent choice, William. _Quid pro quo_ , perhaps, but still, a sensible decision, taking what matters you could into your own hands. I respect that.”

Will studied his plate. “You didn’t leave me many choices, Dr. Lecter.”

“I have enforced much,” Hannibal agreed, not denying it. “But you also have a choice to be happy, Will, one that I think you have seldom allowed yourself. You may find that making that choice will be much easier than you have thought in the past.”

“I….don’t know.” Will was finding it harder to carry on any conversation now, his nerves rattled. Lecter seemed to understand, and let them finish the meal in silence.

Will carried dishes into the kitchen and prepared to dry and put them away as had become his part of the nightly routine, but Hannibal shooed him outside. “I will see to this tonight. Go take care of your dogs.”

Numbly, Will fed the pack, making sure they were comfortable for the night. Winston wined a little, sensing his human’s unease, and Will tried to smile. “It’s alright,” he told them all. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He stalled as long as he could, and then took a deep breathe. Without a backward glance, he went inside the house, stopping in the utility room to wash his hands clean from any dog licks or hair.

He found Hannibal in the study, and Will hesitated at the doorway, knowing that once he crossed the physical threshold, it would be time. Hannibal looked up from where he was straightening books, and smiled, then extended his hand to the younger being, letting Will make the choice.

Will lifted his chin, and went to the demon.

Arms wrapped around Will’s waist, holding him in a brief hug before gently guiding him to sit on the couch. Will tried to just control his breathing, knowing that a panic attack would not help matters. _Don’t fight_ , he told himself firmly. Surely it would only make matters worse.

Hannibal sat beside him, and then large hands cupped Will’s face, making him look up and meet the demon’s gaze. Thumbs gently brushed his temples, soothing.

“It is alright,” Hannibal repeated, his voice soothing, and Will nodded shakily. He was terrified, but he accepted what was about to happen. He had made a choice, and he would abide by it.

“William,” Hannibal now took a deep breath of his own. “You must know something now; for our child to be conceived, I must be in my true form, and our joining will not be gentle. There is no other way.”                                                   

Will blinked numbly, already too nervous from everything else for the words to truly register. Before he could react, Hannibal continued, his voice reassuring.

“I can grant you some mercy, though, my dear Will, and spare you this.” Hannibal turned to the end table and picked up a small teacup that Will had not noticed before. The doctor held it to Will’s lips, and the younger man drank the warm liquid without protest or hesitation. When he was finished, Hannibal returned the cup to the table, and then used both hands to gently caress Will’s face and hair. “You will sleep safely, without dreams or fear,” he assured him, compelling Will in addition to whatever had been in the tea. “Rest well, my desire, and do not fear this.”

He was already sinking into sleep, but Will looked at Hannibal, seeing him. For a brief moment he saw the stag’s antlers and felt the beginnings of hooves holding his face. Then he sighed and closed his eyes, accepting his fate and Hannibal’s will.

TBC…

**************


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal offers amends (and a bribe).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Tags: Mpreg, Dubious consent, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Drug use, Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Will Finds Out, Mind Control

*****

Will woke up gradually, something telling his usually hyper mind to take things slowly. Perhaps it was empathy for himself, or some other instinct, but from the moment he awoke, he remembered clearly what had occurred the night before, and he was in no hurry to move immediately and have to face this new day.

Carefully, he lifted his head, blinking and trying to orient himself. He was lying on his stomach on the huge bed, pillows tucked carefully around him. He got his arms under himself to roll over, hissing at the twinges of pain that followed. Swallowing hard, Will made himself take some deep breaths, breathing through the discomfort. It wasn’t terrible, but there was pain from one area that he wasn’t ready to think about yet. Slowly he lifted his head, and a glance around the room made him sigh in relief; he was alone.

More determined now, he made himself get out of bed, standing shakily, holding onto the headboard for a moment to get his balance. Gritting his teeth, he staggered to the bathroom, driven by need now to know what had been done to him. He had to know.

He didn’t realize that he was wearing pajama bottoms until he looked into the full-length mirror on one wall of the ensuite. Good. He didn’t want to see the cause of some of the pain just yet. It was best to start easy.

Will looked at his reflection nervously, wondering what he would see. It actually wasn’t too bad. Some bruises, scratches, and a few bite marks that made him cringe, but he had had worse after subduing a suspect. There were a couple small bandages on his chest and arms, and he pulled them off to reveal more bite marks. All the wounds had clearly been treated and he doubted they would scar, but it still made anger churn inside him. He had also appeared to have been thoroughly washed, even his nails trimmed and manicured, he realized as he studied them, and he hated the idea of Hannibal touching him that way.

A tender spot on the top of his left hand made him frown as he saw the pinpricks from an IV line to the veins. Hannibal had clearly given him an IV, and he dully wondered why. Antibiotics, he guessed, and maybe for the pain. And speaking of pain….

A wave of dizziness passed through him as Will’s hands went to the waist band of the pajamas. Ordinarily he would sit down, but decided that would not be a good idea at the moment. He braced himself against the mirror instead with one hand until he regained his balance, and then shifted down one side of the pajamas a few inches. As he had suspected, more bandages were on his hips and he ripped a few more off, just because he could.

He couldn’t bring himself to look any further, the pain making it obvious where else he was hurt, and he needed both hands to brace himself against the wall now. Given Will’s ‘accelerated healing’, as Hannibal had termed it, he must have been quite beaten up after…. _after_. He idly guessed that maybe he should be glad that he had been unconscious, but right now, he wasn’t grateful for anything.

“William?”

Will’s head jerked up in panic. Dr. Hannibal Lecter was standing in the doorway of the bathroom. He made no move to come in, just stood quietly, his dark eyes perceptive as always as he looked at the younger being.

“Will,” Hannibal’s voice was surprisingly gentle and reassuring. “You really shouldn’t be out of bed. Please, allow me to—“

The fighting instructors at the Academy would have been proud; a heavyweight champion boxing coach would have been proud. Will straightened, took two steps, and without telegraphing a single move, punched Dr. Lecter in the jaw.

Lecter actually staggered a bit, clearly taken completely by surprise. But Will wasn’t done. He took one step back, and then kicked the demon right in the balls. The last thing Will saw before he slammed the door shut was dark eyes crossed in the special pain that apparently the male of even demon species could feel.

Energy gone, Will slumped to the floor, curing up on one side and closing his eyes. If Hannibal wanted to force open the door, he was going to have to move Will’s body along with it. Fortunately, the door remained closed.

Will didn’t know how long he laid there, suddenly exhausted again. He may have even dozed for a few minutes. It was uncomfortable on the floor, but he had used up all his energy for the moment. He did have enough to smile a bit in satisfaction as he replayed the look on Hannibal’s face. It was worth the added ache now in his hand.

It was also worth any anger Hannibal might have, although Will actually doubted that Lecter would do anything about it. A few weeks ago Will would have hesitated to strike out, but there was nothing left to loose now. Besides, he knew that Hannibal wouldn’t lay a finger on him now that Will was…pregnant.

Pregnant. Oh, God. Will found the energy to crawl to the toilet and threw up. There wasn’t really anything in his stomach, and he heaved up more water than anything, the bile burning his throat. He shook his head, trying to not think about what was inside him now.

He laid back down, grabbing a bath towel to put under his head, and curled up again, refusing to think about anything more. His body hadn’t liked the surge of energy necessary to hit Hannibal, and he needed to rest.

A knock at the door a while later made him open his eyes. “Will?” It was Lecter again, the demon’s voice soft and rather subdued. “May I come in?”  

Uh. If he didn’t know any better, Will would have thought that the demon actually sounded hesitant.

The door opened a crack, and Will reached over to the bathtub, grabbing the nearest object – a bottle of shampoo. Without hesitation, he threw the bottle at the door, and it made a very satisfying bang and smash, splattering its contents. The door promptly closed.

Will propped himself against the wall, shifting his weight to one side to stay off his bottom, gritting his teeth, but smiling in smug satisfaction.

He was eye level now with on the counters and he idly saw the elaborate clock on the small shelf. Hannibal’s OCD meant that there were clocks in every room, all of them fancy ones that showed dates and time zones. The time registered well enough – nearly 11am. That made sense. But something caught his eye, and Will blinked to stare at the clock’s date in disbelief.

Sunday? It had been Friday night when….

He blinked again, and the date stubbornly remained the same. He had been asleep for over a whole day.

A faint sting in his hand made him look down and think again about the IV mark. Hannibal had been apparently giving him fluids….and sedatives.

He felt sick again, but there was nothing left to throw up. Shakily, he managed to pull himself up enough to get a glass of water, and then slumped back down, curling on his other side now. Going back to bed – even Hannibal’s bed – sounded like Heaven, but he was damned if he would do it right now. He curled up on the floor again, his tired mind and aching body daydreaming about how long he could hold out against Lecter.

_Every possible minute_ , he decided.

A knock at the door woke him from an uneasy doze. Looking at the clock, he saw that nearly an hour had passed since Lecter’s last attempt. He supposed that he should be impressed at the doctor’s control.

“Will,” Lecter’s voice was calm. “I am going to open the door, but _I_ am not coming in. Please do not throw anything; it might hurt the dog.”

Dog? Will pulled himself up as best he could, laying on his thighs, his back against the wall. If any of his dogs had been hurt ---

The door opened just a crack, and a familiar black canine nose poked through the opening. The door carefully opened just enough to let Winston come in, and then respectfully closed again.

“Hey, Winston.” Will breathed a sigh of relief as a very healthy and seemingly happy Winston came to him. The big dog nosed him carefully, as if sensing his master’s hurts, and licked a few of the scratches gently, looking concerned. Will smiled, petting the dog and relaxing, letting Winston comfort him. He laid back down, and Winston curled next to him protectively. It was suddenly all so much better, and when the door opened a few minutes later, Will didn’t object, just glanced at Hannibal calmly.

“Winston, I can’t believe you let him use you as a bribe,” Will said to the dog.

“He volunteered,” Hannibal offered. Will just sighed as Hannibal picked him up gently, too tired to care, but held out his hand to Winston, silently beseeching the dog to follow them. Winston loyally stayed by his side as Will was carried back to the bed. “He can stay,” Hannibal assured Will. “When he needs to go outside, I will bring in another to keep you company.”

Will nodded as he was carefully laid back down in the freshly changed bed. The demon supported his shoulders to take few sips of tea, and then Hannibal let Will get comfortable on his side on the edge of the bed, tucking a few pillows around him for support. Winston laid down on the rug beside the bed, within reach of Will’s hand.

“Go back to sleep for few hours,” Hannibal urged quietly, his voice soothing. “When you wake, perhaps you can try to eat something, and then we can talk.”

Will sighed and nodded in agreement, closing his eyes. He was grateful to have Winston with him, but the smile on his lips as he drifted back into a comfortable deep sleep was because he was replaying the look on Hannibal’s face when he was kicked in the nuts.

It made everything almost worth it.

*****

Bella was curled on the duvet next to him when Will awoke. The small mixed terrier yawned sleepily as she greeted her person, and then jumped off the bed before Hannibal could catch her. When the demon entered the room, Bella was looking very innocent and obedient on the rug beside the bed. Still, Hannibal gave her a pointed look as he helped Will sit up a bit, propped up with pillows.

“I will take her outside and return,” he told Will. He brought over a bed tray with a bowl of soup on it, still warm, and a cup of tea. “Try to eat something.”

Will nodded, hiding his smile when Bella ignored Hannibal’s snap of his fingers, obviously trying to get her to heel. It was only when Will gave her small hand signal that the terrier lowered herself to pay attention to the older being and trotted out at his feet.

The soup tasted good, and Will ate carefully, cautious of his still queasy stomach. But it and the tea settled well, and Will took reluctant stock of his condition. The clock showed that he had slept about 6 hours, and did feel better for it. It still wasn’t completely comfortable sitting up, but it was vastly improved over the morning. Maybe his accelerated healing was catching up.

Hannibal returned, and gave Will an approving nod when he saw the empty soup bowl. He refilled the tea, and then pulled up a chair near the bed, close, but not touching.

“So I’m pregnant now?” Will asked, beating Hannibal to any comment the doctor could make.

“Yes,” Hannibal nodded. He paused, tiling his head slightly. ‘How do you feel?”

“I have classes tomorrow,” Will said instead, ignoring the question. He was in no mood to talk about how he felt with the being who had caused the hurts, and definitely not ready to talk about the pregnancy in any detail. He wanted instead to concentrate on his so-called normal routine. It was already Sunday, and his whole schedule for the week was now messed up.

Hannibal took the statement and ignoring of his question in stride. “I have called Alana, explaining that you are unwell, and she is happy to take your classes for the next few days.” With a curt nod, Will accepted the cover story.

Lecter reached out a hand, and Will flinched. “Don’t touch me,” he snapped, not caring that he was in no position to argue - and never had been - with the demon.

“Will,” Hannibal’s voice was calm and even. “I am truly sorry for the injuries I caused you. I did not plan for it to be so violent.”

“You plan everything,” Will countered, not accepting the apology in the slightest. He angrily thrust out a hand, waving it in Hannibal’s face. “You gave me a _manicure_ ,” he hissed. Somehow, that made him really mad at the moment. Raping him while he was unconsciousness, magically impregnating him, that was one thing; but giving him a manicure really, really bothered Will right now.

Hannibal accepted Will’s erratic changes in the conversation and indignity over a manicure with grace. “You are still in some shock, Will,” he said calmly. “This is normal. Please, let me take care of you now.”

“I think you have…. _taken care of…_ plenty already,” Will muttered, now concentrating on picking at a thread on the duvet.

The demon politely ignored him, and went into the ensuite. Will heard the sound of water running in the huge bathtub and sighed. He wanted to protest, but a bath did sound good. Why did the Universe hate him?

When Hannibal returned, Will pushed back the covers and got out of bed, shrugging off an offered arm of support. He had to pause to get his balance, but definitely felt better than that morning. Aside from some dizziness and touch of overall weakness, he felt tender in only one place…and he was not about to discuss that with Hannibal. Smug bastard demon could figure that out for himself.

He sank down into the deep whirlpool tub gratefully, not too proud to admit that he loved the private hot tub. Lecter had added some of his favorite bath oils (not that Will would admit to having favorite bath oils) and he let the warm water sooth his aches. Hannibal – to his credit – didn’t say a word as he finished cleaning up the spatters from the shampoo that Will had thrown at the door earlier. With smug satisfaction, Will noted that it had been Hannibal’s favorite shampoo. He mentally scored himself another point.

He had to cling to anything that made him feel in control or at least just temporarily superior.

It wasn’t until Will was drying himself off that he saw just how busy Hannibal had been over the past day; he had given the profiler a pedicure as well. He scowled, and considered slamming the bathroom door shut again, but decided against it.

Hannibal pressed upon him a protein shake once he was settled back in bed, and Will accepted it after his laptop and glasses were delivered so he could adjust lesson plans for the rest of the week. Maybe he was still in some shock, because he felt really pretty calm about everything….or maybe he was just numb. Either way, he was glad.

He dozed off with glasses on and laptop running, and only awoke briefly when Hannibal gently took them away. Will grumbled, but didn’t object as he was tucked back into bed, and even didn’t fuss when Hannibal joined him. Sleeping together had, oddly enough, become something that Will was now used to. He slept better with Hannibal beside him than he had since he was a child.

And speaking of a child….

Will bit his lip, and firmly decided to wait for any discussion of his new condition. He desperately needed one more “normal” night before he would have to rationally discuss being pregnant.   To his relief, Hannibal just turned out the lights, and gathered Will into a loose and comfortable hold, just had he had been doing for months…nothing new or uncomfortable.

With a sigh, Will let himself go to sleep.

TBC….


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal and Will have a discussion. Will starts to face some facts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Tags: Mpreg, Dubious consent, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Will Finds Out, Mind Control

****

Will’s favorite meal to go out for had always been breakfast. There was just something comforting about good pancakes, eggs and all the fixings, washed down with hot coffee. Since basically moving in with Hannibal, there was even more reason to like breakfast since Hannibal cooked his breakfasts were just as good as his elaborate dinners. Will just didn’t think ever about _what_ was being cooked for breakfast.

He didn’t want that thought to ruin things. Per their unspoken agreement and Hannibal’s compelling, Will ate what was put in front of him, and in turn Hannibal kept the more “unusual fare” to the minimum.

This morning though, Will couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander.

He had slept in, and then showered and made his way downstairs to where Hannibal was preparing the usual feast. The food made him pause as he wondered if he was going to get morning sickness.

“What is going to happen?” he asked. It was suddenly all crashing down on him. He had to face the day….and face what was going to happen. He was actually _pregnant_ , and that thought was suddenly horrifying.

Hannibal looked up from the stove. “Why don’t we take our plates and sit down, yes? This sort of conversation will be more comfortable if we are comfortable.”

“Yeah, like I’m ever going to be comfortable,” Will muttered. But he gathered up the coffee pot and went to the table. Hannibal just nodded, and followed with their plates.

They ate in silence for a minute before Will looked at Hannibal, nervous, but insistent and the demon inclined his head a little.

“What questions in particular do you have?”

Will’s fingers clenched a piece of toast. “How long will I be pregnant?” He was proud that he didn’t stutter over the word.

“I believe it will be close to the traditional nine months, although it is hard to know for certain. The child and your body will let us know when it is time to be born.”

Thoughts of being in labor crossed Will’s mind, and he shuddered. “And how….”

“I will perform a caesarian.” Will winced a little; it was what he had naturally assumed, but still, it sounded ominous. “I have done the procedure before. You and the child will be perfectly safe. I am setting up a surgical care room upstairs that will have everything we need.”

Will tried to not think about the basement. He had never been down there, but he knew it was where Hannibal did his work after hunting. That alone was enough to ensure that he kept far away from it.

“When you begin to show, we will say that you have gone to Europe to adopt the child from relatives of mine,” Hannibal continued. “I will do all I can to ensure that you are comfortable during the confinement. The time will pass quickly. I suspect that you will experience many of the usual symptoms of pregnancy, but between medicine and my abilities, we can alleviate any discomfort.”

“I’m not giving up coffee,” Will said. It was suddenly very important to him. He clutched his cup and took a long sip to make his point. Morning sickness was going to suck if it happened. He wondered if he could develop an aversion to meat.

Hannibal smiled a little. “For now,” he agreed. “Also, dear Uncle Jack will realize that you are needed more in the classroom training additional agents, and consulting via video conferences and phone calls rather than constantly dragging you to crime scenes.”

Will blinked a little as he thought that over. “Protecting me due to my delicate condition?” he muttered.

Dark eyes flashed red. “Yes,” Hannibal answered simply.

Will’s fingers tapped the table nervously. “I’m good in the field,” he argued. That and the classroom were the only places he felt comfortable, except for when with his dogs. They understood things.

“You are. But it also extracts a toll every time you must travel and see things in person. I know and even Jack knows that you can see things from pictures or video. There is no need to make you chase around the country to every crime scene in person.”

Blue eyes narrowed in thought as Will pondered that. He didn’t like Hannibal restricting him in any manner, but deep down, he admitted that going to crime scenes was wearing on him. It was too draining; every time he felt as if he was losing a tiny piece of himself at the scene. He had felt safe – even kind of happy, damn it – in his place in the classroom before Jack had “borrowed” him. It had been comfortable. He’d liked it.   He would like it again.

Just damned if he would admit that to Hannibal right now.

“I would prefer that you...and the dogs...now completely move in permanently,” Hannibal added, pouring them both another cup of coffee. “Mostly so I can monitor your health, but also since it would be logical that if we are now in the process of quietly adopting, we need to live in the same home.”

Will frowned at that. “I want to keep my house.” Everything he had known before meeting Hannibal had been changed. His house and dogs were about all that he felt he still had from his personal life before.

“Of course, it is your house,” Hannibal agreed smoothly. “It will be perfect for weekends and I know you enjoy the fishing and taking the dogs out. But I will arrange for a moving company to come later in the week so we can get you properly settled here with any items you may need.”

Will had to sigh a little. What would he bring? His fly tying table? Yeah, it would look brilliant next to Hannibal’s 18th Century chairs.

“Let me sort some things, first,” he said quietly. He knew he would not win the argument, so a compromise would be his best chance to maintain some semblance of control.

“As you wish.” Lecter leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful as he cleared his throat. “Will, I would like to address something else now. I must apologize again for the…manner….in which our child was conceived. I did not intend for it to be as harsh as it was.”

Will looked down nervously, trying to stay calm as studied the carpet. He had been hoping that they could more or less avoid that discussion. “You drugged me for a whole day,” he said finally, not sure what else to say. He didn’t want to discuss the actual “event” that had made him pregnant.

“You needed the rest. And time to heal.”

“You won’t….I don’t want…” Will paused, unsure how to phrase what he was thinking, trying and failing to meet Hannibal’s gaze.

“You have my word that I will not touch you in that manner again,” Hannibal said quietly, as if reading the profiler’s mind. Will nodded, relieved. He was already healed, and in truth he had not been really harmed, but the thought of Hannibal doing that again….even if he wasn’t in his true form…was uncomfortable.

Will sighed mentally. He had finally had sex, and he had been unconsciousness for it. He just couldn’t get a break.

The demon’s thin lips twitched in a small smile as he watched Will’s face. “I very much deserved your reaction yesterday,” Hannibal admitted ruefully, actually raising his glass in a small toast. “Your aim was quite true, and very forceful.”

Will couldn’t help it – he snorted a bit in laughter, mentally replaying the event. It was a bright spot in this bizarre world that he knew he was going to treasure. Lecter graciously inclined his head in acknowledgement of being the subject of mirth, and stood to collect the plates. After a minute, Will followed into the kitchen to help dry and put away the dishes, falling into the morning routine that they had established.

Things were going to be very, very, interesting.

*****

_Will laid on the dining room table, watching the lights reflect off the ceiling. Hannibal smiled at him from his chair at the head of the table, dark eyes glowing red._

_“It is time now, Will,” Hannibal said, his voice compelling._

_Time? Will frowned and raised his head, looking down at himself. To his shock, he saw that his stomach was huge, swollen with child. Hannibal smiled, his fingers turning into claws as he gently raked them across Will’s abdomen._

_Will gasped as pain shot through his stomach, arching his back in agony. He gasped and looked down, only to see that Hannibal was merely resting his hand and claws on Will’s stomach; there was no sign that he had torn skin._

_Then another wave of pain struck, and Will realized that the pain was coming from within himself._

_The child was tearing its way out of him._

_Too horrified to have breath to scream, he watched as his stomach was ripped open from the inside…_

*****

“William? Will!”

Will fought against the claws – the hands – that held him, frantically trying to get away. To his despair, he was held firmly against a strong chest, his arms wrapped around himself so he could not cause himself any harm. He kicked out blindly instead, struggling any way he could.

“Will, it is alright. Your name is William Graham. It is 2:09 AM. You are in Baltimore, Maryland at home. You are safe.”

Both of Will’s hands were clenched by one larger hand so a bedside lamp could be turned on. “Look, Will. You are in the bedroom. Safe.” Hannibal’s voice was soothing, sounding completely sincere in his efforts to comfort the younger being.

Will looked down at himself, seeing his still-flat stomach, and his breath caught in surprise. The hands and arms holding him allowed him to move his hands down to his abdomen, feeling in wonder.

“You are safe, Will,” Hannibal repeated, unsure what to say. Will shook his head.

“The baby,” he tried to explain between gasps of air. “It…it tore its way out….”

Arms tightened protectively around the profiler as Hannibal began to understand what the dream had entailed.

“It was a nightmare only. You are safe, you are perfectly safe,” Hannibal murmured reassuringly. “And you always will be. You will never be harmed, not when our child is born and never after that either. Listen to me; you will never be harmed.”

Will drew in a gasp, trying to breathe. “The baby,” he continued to protest, still not believing what he was being told. His dream had been far too vivid to accept bland assurances. “What will it look like? Will it have claws….fangs…?” He had never thought about what could be inside him, given the nature of Hannibal’s true form.

“No, no, of course not,” Hannibal practically cooed in reassurance. “The child will appear completely human, just as you do. A beautiful, perfect, normal, human.” Hannibal rested their joined hands on Will’s flat stomach, trying to assure the teacher. “We will have a perfectly normal and beautiful child. And when our child is born, you will feel no pain whatsoever. You will never be harmed in any manner. It will truly be so very simple, and then we will have a new member of our family.” Hannibal continued to gently stroke Will’s arms, almost rocking him as he tried to reassure the smaller man.

Will shook his head, fighting to ground himself in reality after the nightmare. It was just so _difficult_. He often didn’t know where he was under the best of circumstances, and this was far from the best. He offered only token resistance as he was gently turned and tucked against a broad chest, enfolded in Hannibal’s protective arms and burying his face against Hannibal’s chest. Will didn’t want to admit it, but it _did_ feel safe.

He thought he should hate that fact, but couldn’t bring himself to feel the emotion. His empathy was centered on what he was sensing from the being holding him and offering him comfort: Hannibal was telling the truth, and would not hurt him.

Will would take what he could get.

Shakily, Will managed to get his breathing mostly under control. He looked down, still having to see for himself that his stomach was flat, and rested his cheek against Hannibal’s chest. The demon was holding him so gently and carefully, offering his clear protection. It felt good.

Will realized that he was drenched in sweat and sighed. Another night of ruined bed sheets. Miraculously, he had never had such bad nightmares and sweats before while at Hannibal’s and he guessed he should count himself fortunate for that.

Hannibal gently brushed Will’s hair back, smoothing the tangled curls. “Let’s get you to a cool shower, shall we?” Will nodded, too shaken to protest.

Hannibal gently led him to the bathroom and started the shower on a soothing lukewarm mist. He squeezed Will’s arm reassuringly, and then tactfully left him in privacy. Will gratefully stripped and stepped under the water, wishing he could wash and clear his head.

He lingered until his fingers and toes threatened to shrivel, enjoying the water and relaxing scent from the lavender soap that Hannibal favored at night. Will had never given any thought to aromatherapy before, but he had to admit that he liked the candles and soaps. He just never would have figured that Hannibal would be into that sort of thing. Go figure.

Emerging from the shower, Will found that Hannibal had laid out clean pajamas for him, and he pulled them on and went back to the bedroom. Hannibal quietly tucked him back into the freshly made bed and handed him a cup of tea. Will accepted it without question, deciding that he would just enjoy what he was being offered. It was not worth it to fight.

The mattress dip as Hannibal sat next to him, and Will just calmly studied him. “What is your true form?” he asked.

Hannibal smiled a tiny bit. “I reveal it to very few,” he answered.

“The ones you hunt,” Will nodded, seeing and understanding. Hannibal inclined his head in agreement.

“Our child will be perfect and beautiful, and appear completely human,” Hannibal reassured him again.

Will frowned, suspicious, remembering an earlier conversation. “Curly hair?” he demanded.

Hannibal looked completely innocent. “I cannot control everything, Will,” he deflected smoothly.

Will sighed, and let Hannibal take the now empty tea cup away, and then laid back down, letting himself enjoy the luxurious bed. He was comfortable, and safe. It was all that mattered now.

He felt and heard Hannibal join him back in bed, and willingly let himself be drawn back into a protective embrace.

TBC…..


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serious conversations - and some fluff - as Will comes to grips with his new delicate condition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Tags: Mpreg, Dubious consent, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Cannibalism, Manipulative Hannibal, Possessive Hannibal, Will Finds Out, Mind Control

*****

The next weeks passed in something of a comfortable blur. Will liked the idea of things just moving along calmly. It was something very new to him.

As Hannibal had said, Jack had a sudden inspiration to keep Will busy with classes and training agents and consulting via video. Will was still pulled in to consult, but it was in the form of conferences or skype or other electronic formats that allowed him to stay in the academy building rather than being dragged across the country.   He found that he could see killers even from photographs or video of crime scenes, and it was a secret relief to not travel so much.

The dogs were thriving in their posh new neighborhood, and enjoyed the weekend trips back to the “country house” - as Hannibal termed it - for fishing and running. The pack was actually quite respectful of Hannibal’s place as undisputed Alpha in the household, and caused few problems. Will still thought that Hannibal had bribed them with treats and toys, and had a few self-pity parties where he sulked about canine loyalty. But then Winston would lead an insurgence against Hannibal such as threatening to lift a leg on the Bentley’s tires, and Will knew the pack was still on his side.

Will could almost forget at times Hannibal’s true nature and the fact that he was pregnant. But then something would happen, like an agent accidentally jostling Will in the stairway, and he would find his hand resting protective over his stomach, wanting to protect the life inside him. Or when Beverly invited him out for drinks with the rest of the lab gang, and Will had to bite his tongue to not explain he couldn’t drink anymore. And how one day, while imputing student names into databases, he started thinking about names he liked and names he hated. Some parents could be complete idiots by burdening their child with awful names that no one could spell.

He studiously avoided looking at himself in the mirror after showers, and mentally breathed a sigh of relief every morning when he was able to zip up his pants, reassuring himself that he wasn’t showing yet. The pants started to get a little bit snugger, though, but Will tried to tell himself that it was Hannibal’s cooking. He had put on a few pounds even before…well… _before_.

Then one morning when Will was exactly 5 weeks and 2 days pregnant, he walked into the kitchen and had to immediately race to the powder room. There was nothing in his stomach yet, but the heaves were still extreme.

“Will?” Hannibal knelt beside him, putting a cool washcloth on the back of Will’s neck.

“Coffee,” Will managed to gasp. It was official; the Universe hated him. The smell of the freshly brewed coffee was now unbelievably foul. Just thinking about it made Will heave again.

“Ah,” Hannibal said in understanding. He handed Will a glass of cold water, and left for a few minutes, leaving Will to bemoan his fate. Dear Lord, of all things, why did it have to be coffee?

Hannibal quickly returned and offered Will a small cup of tea. Will was a bit unsure at first, but it smelled good and tasted even better. When he was fairly certain that his stomach was done complaining, Hannibal helped Will to the dining room where breakfast was laid out. More tea was delivered, and Will managed to eat a little after his stomach rested.

He reflected that it was a good thing that he’d always had a policy of not allowing food or drink in his classroom other than a water bottle. It wasn’t a neat freak thing at all; it was because most of the slides and videos Will showed during his lectures were not exactly conducive to viewing while eating.

The next morning Will approached the kitchen warily, but Hannibal had thoughtfully not made coffee. It seemed that the demon was either giving up coffee in a show of solidarity, or was at least waiting until he was at his office before indulging. Will looking longingly at the fancy expensive coffee maker, wondering if it was now relegated to a cupboard for eight months.

“Is coffee going to make me sick the entire time?” Will couldn’t suppress the tiny tremor in his voice.

Hannibal smiled slightly from where he was plating their food. “Unlikely. Most women report experiencing morning sickness for only a few months, and it can change from smell to smell what may make you ill. You may be back to enjoying a morning cup in a month or so.”

Will sighed, nodding. With his luck, it would last the entire time.

A week later, Will had to face another realization when his favorite jeans refused to zip and button. He stormed out the bathroom, not caring that he was clad only in his boxers, and threw the offending garments in Hannibal’s general direction before tearing   through his part of the closet and finding looser pants.

Hannibal wisely did not say anything, but when Will returned to the house that evening, he found an assortment of new clothing neatly lined up the closet. Will reluctantly looked at it, and found that the pants were cleverly tailored to allow more room in the waist and abdomen, but still fit well in the legs. There were also new shirts that would be looser in the stomach without falling off his shoulders.

He knew that Hannibal had quietly entered the bedroom, and sighed in defeat. “What did you tell your tailor?” Hannibal had dragged Will to his favorite tailor several times and Will had nothing but respect and fear for the intimidating Korean man who could make even the demon Hannibal stand still at fittings. Knowing how Hannibal planed for things, he suspected that he had commissioned the clothing weeks earlier was just waiting for Will to admit things.

“That you are undergoing surgery, and will need comfortable, loose, clothing afterwards.”

Will shook his head, looking at all the outfits. “Just how big am I going to get?” He had vague visions of waddling across the living room.

“I do not know for certain, but it is unlikely you will gain an excessive amount. There is also more ‘room’ in the male’s abdomen than in a female, and you will not show as much as a woman would.”

“I want sweats,” Will declared suddenly. Hannibal raised an eyebrow and Will squared his shoulders, ready to stand his ground. “When I’m confined to the house, I’m damned if I’m going to wear suits or dress pants. I want sweatpants and sweatshirts. It’s almost winter, and that’s what I want to wear.”

Hannibal looked a tad pained, but nodded. “I will speak to Mr. Kim,” he promised. Will inclined his head in thanks, knowing that the Korean tailor would make even a sweat suit look stylish. It was a compromise.

“What else is going to probably happen?” Will knew that the walk-in closet was hardly the place for a serious discussion, but it seemed to be happening.

“In many ways, just what a woman would experience. Back aches, food cravings, etc… But you are strong and healthy and will have no serious problems, Will, I assure you. I am monitoring your health and that of the child, and all is well.”

Will grumbled under his breath for a moment, studying a new shirt, and then froze in horror. Just what a woman would experience? Will gathered every ounce of courage he had, and turned to face the Chesapeake Ripper demon.

“Am I going to…..I mean….will I…develop….uh, _develop_?” He couldn’t even begin to meet Hannibal’s eyes, and instead stared at the wall as he made a very vague gesture with his hands to his chest.

Hannibal’s eyes widened in what seemed to be genuine, honest, surprise….a look Will had never truly seen on the older being before.

“No, no,” he assured the profiler quickly and profusely, looking truly shocked. “I promise you that will not occur.”

“Thank God,” Will practically sagged against the door in relief. But it brought up another issue. “What will the baby eat?”

“Formula,” Hannibal answered. It was a little too simple, and Will knew it right away.

“What else?” Blue eyes glared at the demon, knowing that there was more than that easy answer.

Hannibal almost sighed a little, hinting he would have preferred to not answer, but he would indulge Will. “It is half my kind, William, and we have discussed your heritage and needs before. The child will require an appropriate diet. It is necessary for its health, just as it was for you.”

Will had to swallow hard at the image that entailed…the thought of having to prepare a bottle of…”I don’t know if I can….do that,” he said quietly. “Feed it…blood.”

“You do not need to do that,” Hannibal promised him softly, his voice sincere. “I will deal with that Will. Regular formula will be needed as well, and you can handle those feedings, yes?” The doctor seemed to be honestly trying to accommodate Will’s boundaries.

Will looked down at the neat rows of shoes, trying to get his mind off feedings. “What will happen after it’s born? We’ve never talked about that.”

The demon tilted his head in consideration. “You have fears of being a good father,” he observed.

“Didn’t have much of a good role model.”

“You are already a good parent, Will.” Hannibal smiled at the confusion on the younger being’s face. “Your dog’s make a strong case that you love and protect them. You have voluntarily given up any food that you think could possibly harm the child.” Hannibal looked amused, but in a fond manner as Will sighed at the loss of the vending machine wonders. “And I know you have been reading child-rearing books. I did not mean to pry, but you left a few out in the library.”

“Crap,” Will muttered. He had wondered where he had left them. Fortunately, Hannibal wasn’t teasing him.

“You are planning ahead and being very careful. All signs that you will be a wonderful parent, Will. And I have known you would be all along; I would not have chosen you otherwise.”

Will walked back into the bedroom, sitting on the bed. “I’m still mad at you, you realize,” he tried to deflect.

Hannibal nodded. “That is understandable. This has all been a shock. But you are adjusting, Will, and I know you will be all our child could wish for. It is very fortunate to have you as a parent.” The demon sat beside him on the bed, not wanting to tower over the profiler; sitting close, but not touching. “You care already for the child, don’t you?”

“I’m never going to be angry at a child for the fact that they were conceived,” Will pointed out, bristling slightly. Without realizing it, one of his hands went to cover his stomach in a protective move. “I had enough of that growing up. This child is innocent and doesn’t deserve any anger no matter what.”

“No, of course not. I did not mean to hint otherwise. You do have the right to be angry with me, however.”

Will started picking at a thread on the duvet again, a nervous habit that he had acquired over the past months. Hannibal winced a little, but allowed it. “I do, and I am still angry…at some things.”

“Not everything?” Hannibal seemed honestly curious.

“I hate what you did, but I can’t hold it against the child.   There’s a blurry point, where anger at you comes too close to being anger at the child,” Will tried to explain. He didn’t like that his emotions had gone from pure anger to grudging acceptance. “I’m not going to cross that point, ever. The line just…moves…sometimes in my head still.  I don’t know how to separate everything in my mind.”

“Compartmentalizing is a gift, but sometimes a curse as well,” Hannibal observed. “And emotions play into it as well, especially for one with your empathy and abilities.”

Will regarded the older being carefully. “The Chesapeake Ripper hasn’t struck recently,” he said carefully. The past weeks had been downright quiet for most of Will’s work. He hadn’t had to see anything terrible in some time.

“I have added more than enough to your life at present. There is no need to make you see my kills as well,” Hannibal answered.

“But you are still killing.”

“I hunt, yes, of course.” There was no hesitation or trace of guilt. “I merely restrain myself, and my victims are listed as missing, rather than deceased.”

Will shuddered, thinking again of the freezers in the basement.

“It is for the best; your dear Jack is keeping you more than busy enough,” Lecter said, and Will had to reluctantly agree with that notion.

Seeing Hannibal smooth an imaginary wrinkle in his suit made Will think of the new clothes again. “I wonder how much longer I can hide the bump,” he worried aloud.

“I do not know,” Hannibal admitted. “Perhaps two months; surely no more than that.”

Will sighed, and took a deep breath. “Then I guess we better start dropping hints on adoption if I may be ‘leaving’ in a couple of months.” He trusted that Hannibal would take care of that issue.

“Yes.”

It was odd, but the Closet Conversation (as Will mentally termed it) marked a bit of a turning point. He was still nervous around Lecter, and didn’t _like_ what had happened, but he had been completely honest when he said that he couldn’t be angry at an innocent child. He had plenty of buried resentment toward Hannibal, but not toward the baby. And he had been friends with Hannibal, hard as it was to admit at times. Will did not forget things, but he had forgiven quite a lot over the years with other people. It was hard to decide where to come down on the issue with Hannibal.

And ultimately, an innocent child was involved. Will would always consider that first, no matter what. He believed that Hannibal would love and treasure the child; _that_ , he was comfortable with.

Hannibal had always been extremely solicitous with Will, but now it was increased even more. Menus revolved around Will’s favorite meals, and while there was always a modest portion of meat or meat sauce that Will had to eat (and Will had no illusions about what kind of meat it was), Hannibal kept the amount small, and gave him extra-large servings of vegetables and fruit in return. Hannibal even served some vegetarian dishes, which made Will nearly faint in shock the first time it occurred. In addition to forgoing coffee in front of Will, Hannibal also gave up wine in the evenings, and they would instead drink tea while reading or working.

Will found vast assortments of fine bath salts, oils, and lotion awaiting him each morning and night, and decided he might as well enjoy them. He was even picking out favorites, and Hannibal duly noted which kinds he liked best and kept them stocked. Tea and snack favorites were also provided, though Hannibal drew the line at Cheetos.

He would flatly deny it, but Will was developing a weakness for some of the comforts in Hannibal’s home that he was being pampered with. The thousand count bed sheets were pure _Heaven_ , he enjoyed the food and drink, and who knew that bath towels could be so wonderful? The dogs were equally spoiled and thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Will insisted on bathing them himself, but there were now weekly appointments from a posh visiting “dog stylist” who assisted with grooming, nail trims and ear cleaning. Fancy new dog toys and treats continued to appear at regular intervals.

Will knew that he was in essence being courted and spoiled. Perhaps a bit after the fact, but still, it was reluctantly appreciated. It was only polite.

The demon still insisted on at least one social outing a week, tactfully pointing out that soon Will would be confined to the house, and they also spent weekends in Wolf Trap so Will could enjoy the outdoors and fishing. Will knew that he should take advantage of being out and about while he could, and reluctantly accepted the concerts and gallery visits. It was always difficult when one of Hannibal’s society friends cornered him, but Will was getting better at handing them. Hannibal was also careful to run interference when he suspected that Will was reaching his tolerance level. Will figured he should just be glad that Hannibal had thrown only three elaborate dinner parties at the house in the previous months, and Will had actually been allowed to hide in the bedroom during one of them, Hannibal telling everyone that his partner had been called to work on a case.

Will realized that he really was being protected and cherished…and he liked it.

It boded well for how Hannibal would treat the child. That was what truly mattered to Will.

TBC…

*****


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will becomes confined to the house. Hannibal spoils him rotten.

*****

Hannibal ‘talked’ with Jack at some point, and soon the lab was abuzz with news that the doctor and Will were planning to adopt. Alana was surprised, but offered her complete support, relieved to see that Will had found a stable, happy, relationship. Beverly surprised Will by offering to babysit, explaining that between her younger siblings, cousins, and nieces and nephews, she was a secret Super Nanny, and Will mumbled that they would indeed take her up on the offer.

Jack wasn’t happy that Will would be taking an extensive leave, but obviously couldn’t do anything about it, and Will guessed that some compelling had been involved because Jack didn’t openly complain; just asked Will to get in as much training as he could before he left. Will increased his teaching assignments for a few weeks to accelerate some classes, and Jack was happy.

Food cravings started to hit, and Will decided to take full advantage of the amazingly doting Hannibal. He wasn’t really serious when he asked Hannibal to get him a Big Mac on the way home one day, but to his complete and utter shock the demon walked into the house an hour later actually carrying the take out bag. Will wasn’t going to say no to such an opportunity, and thoroughly enjoyed the junk food, even though Hannibal flatly refused to allow it into the dining room; Will enjoyed his treat at the kitchen table. Inspired, the profiler made plans to request food deliveries on a regular basis, as much as he thought he could push. Just the thought of the Bentley in the drive-thru lane made Will smile.

Hannibal was extremely solicitous, and Will blushed, but accepted the pampering reluctantly, telling himself that it was for the benefit of the child. He had never been spoiled before, and it was taking some getting used to. But at night, resting comfortably and letting his imagination center on good things, he admitted that it was nice. Hannibal did all sorts of things to spoil him that Will would have never expected.

Like foot rubs.

Will sighed in relief as he sat down on what had become his chair in the study, kicking off his shoes. He would have discarded the loafers the minute he had arrived at the house, but Hannibal had rules about being properly dressed for dinner and bare or even just stocking feet were an official dress code violation.

“Do your feet hurt?” Hannibal was looking at him intently.

“Yeah. Guess I need bigger shoes now too,” Will mumbled. It was a bother, because he actually liked the expensive shoes Hannibal had gotten him a month earlier, and they were finally properly broken in.

Before Will quite knew what was happening, Hannibal had moved a stool over and was lifting the profiler’s feet to rest on it. Then Hannibal brought over a chair and sat down, gently drawing Will’s left foot into his lap, and began massaging it.

“Hey! Owe!” Will tried to free his foot, but Hannibal had a sure grip on it and powerful fingers sought out the sore spots on the foot, toes, and ankle. “Owe, not so hard!”

“My apologies.” Hannibal eased up on the massage, his hands more gentle now that he had found the areas of discomfort. Will felt funny, but allowed both feet to be massaged thoroughly, and had to concede that it felt wonderful.

“We shall add these to the nightly routine, yes?” Hannibal looked at him almost fondly; an expression that he often wore at night when Will or the baby was being discussed.

“You don’t have to—“

“William.” Hannibal’s voice was even, but Will still heard the tone that warned resistance was futile.

Will looked down, trying to concentrate on his book and not blush. “Alright. Thank you,” he added, trying to be gracious.

“You are very welcome.”

Hannibal monitored Will carefully, taking his pulse and blood pressure daily. It unnerved Will a little bit, but he understood it was for the child’s health, and he didn’t openly object. Now checking his feet was added, Hannibal explaining that some swelling was to be expected, but Will should sit and rest whenever possible. Will didn’t have to lift a single finger around the house, and felt very strange about sitting and reading while Hannibal cooked and cleaned, but decided he liked it.

Will was four months pregnant when he looked in the mirror and had to accept that it was time to ‘leave the country’; it was time to implement their cover story that he was going to Europe to adopt their child. He just couldn’t hide the baby bump much longer, and he honestly was exhausted. He slept better than he had in his entire life, and was still tired most of the time. Also, they could no longer risk Jack wanting to drag him out to crime scenes or even consult. Will bit his lip, worrying as he and Hannibal discussed the story they would tell everyone.

“I just hoped that I could get half-way through,” he grumbled. He hated the idea of being cooped up in the house for the next five months. “I’ll be out a whole semester of school.”

Hannibal smiled as he plated their breakfast. “You have already arranged a series of lectures by skype and phone call,” he pointed out. Everyone thought Will was wonderful for teaching classes even with the time difference and while he was ‘adopting’ a child. Hannibal had everything very carefully planned out.

“And,” the demon continued, “Your confinement may not last five more months. We cannot be positive, but I think the child may come in less time than a usual human pregnancy.”

“Oh.” Will pondered that as he looked at his piece of toast. “Ok, yeah. Maybe that’s why I’m so huge already?” He would rather die than admit it, but he was very self-conscious about the weight he had gained. Hannibal had been very discrete when he brought Will new shoes and slippers to wear in the house, but Will could tell they were a larger size. Even his feet were turning against him.

Hannibal looked stern as he sat down to join Will at the table. “You are not huge, Will.” It was a fairly constant topic of disagreement between them. Hannibal insisted that Will had been far too slim before the pregnancy, and that he was merely finally gaining some much needed muscle and weight.

The profiler sighed. “Try telling that to my clothes,” he grumbled.  Hannibal had brought home a second batch of (even larger) tailored clothes from the indomitable Mr. Kim, along with the promised sweat suits, and Will openly swore that the minute he began house confinement, he was wearing nothing but the sweats. Hannibal had just sighed and placed an order for extra pairs of sweats.

They spent a long weekend in Wolf Trap, and returned early Monday morning, Will now officially restricted to the house. He bit his lip as he followed Hannibal upstairs with their overnight bags, suddenly feeling nervous. Hannibal’s house was secluded and private enough that Will would be able to venture into the back yard with the dogs, but other than that, he would need to stay inside. He was glad to have Hannibal’s extensive library and fast internet connection; he would need it for distraction.

He unpacked and headed toward the stairs to return to the main floor, but Hannibal gently caught his arm. “Will, if you would, there is something I would like to show you,” he said, and guided him down the hall, smiling, trying to signal that there was nothing to fear.

Will swallowed nervously. He had been living with Hannibal for nearly six months, but had been profoundly careful about _not_ exploring the house. He knew the main floor well, as did any of Hannibal’s usual guests, but he had never ventured into the rooms upstairs except for the master suite, although he knew there were four other rooms on the floor in addition to the master. He’d just not had the interest….or the courage. The basement, obviously, was completely off limits. Will had no intention of even acknowledging that the basement existed.

Hannibal simply smiled as he opened a door and gestured for Will to enter. The profiler did so hesitantly, and then stopped, amazed. Set up against windows in a guest bedroom was a huge elaborate work table and all the necessary gear for tying fishing flies and lures. It expanded out even to the closets, which were stocked with anything that could be desired for fishing. There was also a cozy corner chair and reading table set up, stocked with glossy magazines and catalogues from various fishing and hunting companies, clearing ready for browsing and ordering. Will gaped at the sophisticated set-up and organized supplies just waiting to be used, dazzled at all the materials. There were supplies that even he had never seen before; it looked like a fisherman’s fancy dream store.

He turned to Hannibal, trying to understand this gift, and the doctor smiled. “I knew you would miss your work table in Wolf Trap,” he explained. “I thought this might help keep you occupied.”

“Hannibal…” Will was truly at a loss for words. Hannibal had given him all sorts of fancy things, but nothing touched him like this. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “I was thinking I would miss that hobby.” He had thought about bringing some things to make new lures, but it had just seemed like too much effort at the time.

The demon just nodded, looking pleased. “I only hope I will not have to constantly drag you out of here,” he said teasingly. “You need to rest and eat, you understand.” Will had to laugh a little in return, accepting the joking.

“Maybe,” he said vaguely. “No promises.” He was already dreaming of the things he could make. All sorts of ties and other things he had wanted to work on, but had never had the time or energy. And the thought of being able to simply browse through a catalog or magazine was beyond enticing.

Hannibal inclined his head. “Then perhaps we shall see now, yes? I will go down and start dinner, and allow you to get acquainted with the supplies. I will fetch you in a few hours.” Will simply nodded, already turning to the work table and mentally sorting materials, trying to decide what to play with first.

Hannibal did indeed have to drag Will out later, but it was a pleased and contented Will, so it was not a bother.

The next day was very strange as Will watched Hannibal leave for his office, his confinement suddenly becoming very real. But he managed a small smile and nod as Hannibal left, and then determinedly went upstairs to lose himself in his new “fishing office”, as he termed it. He’d had no idea how much he had missed having time to simply relax and work on the fishing lures and even read magazines.  Ever since Jack had “borrowed” his imagination, Will had been dragged all over the country, and it was good to have actual spare time that didn’t involve dead bodies.

Will was a bit surprised at how quickly the days went by as he relaxed and settled into an easy routine in the house. He had thought that he would more than just a bit crabby at being confined, but had to concede that he had usually preferred to be a hermit anyways, and for once, it was being encouraged. He’d worried he wouldn’t be comfortable in Hannibal’s huge house, but it was – in a way – becoming home, and felt comfortable. The dogs helped.

Hannibal increased his pampering even more, bringing Will a small gift each day. Books, games, puzzles, silly gadgets, new toys for the dogs, all sorts of things that made Will smile and helped to keep him occupied during the day. It was a touch embarrassing, but Will looked forward to the daily presents. He had never been spoiled before, and it was nice. He had laughed at the Wii Fishing Game, and then had spent two hours setting it up while Hannibal cooked dinner and now planned time with the game nearly every day, determined to improve his score. Even the 1,000 piece “fish of the world” jigsaw puzzle and fish “logic puzzle” had been fun.

He still regarded Hannibal with some healthy trepidation, but things were becoming easier between them; really quite friendly again, if Will was honest. Hannibal had kept his word on everything thus far, and Will trusted that the demon would not harm him or the child. Will had not wanted this, but well, wasn’t it right to make the best of the strange situation he was now in? Was it _wrong_ to look for the positive?

Several weeks after Will had started his house-bound stay, he started noticing strange twinges in his stomach. Not often, and barely noticeable, but still, small sensations. He gathered up his nerve and mentioned it to Hannibal one night after dinner.

“I think…maybe….that the baby is kicking,” he ventured cautiously, lip bitten in uncertainty.

Hannibal looked up, quickly putting down his book. “It is very likely,” he replied, sounding very interested. “The child is developed enough now for movement.” He tilted his head in question. “Does it hurt at all?”

“No, just….very strange.” Will shifted his weight, trying to find a comfortable position, but the child seemed determine to keep his attention. “I hope this doesn’t happen constantly for the next few months.”

A small smile graced Hannibal’s face. “Perhaps the child has your impatience,” he remarked lightly.

“Wonderful,” Will muttered. The kicks were now centered in one location and Will rested his hand on his abused stomach. “We’re all doomed if it has both my temper and yours.”

Hannibal chucked, and something in his face – a clear longing - made Will pause and consider. He took a deep breath and decided he need to try another leap of trust. “Would you like to….feel….it?”

Dark eyes widened a bit in surprise at the offer. Hannibal had been very careful to not touch Will expect for occasional light touches to his arm or back for guidance, and holding him at night, and Will had come to like that cuddling. It was crazy, but now that he thought about it, Will realized that Hannibal had never even kissed him.

“I would like that very much,” Hannibal said carefully, “If you are comfortable with it.”

Will nodded, not quite able to meet Hannibal’s gaze. “It’s your child,” he muttered faintly. “Seems only right.”

“ _Our_ child,” Hannibal gently corrected, but he left his chair to kneel beside Will’s and held out one large hand. “Why don’t you take my hand, and place it in the correct location?” he suggested.

Will nodded, and took the hand, idly noticing how warm it was, and rested the joined hands on his distended stomach where the kicks were currently located. There was a pause, and then as if on cue, a strong kick.

Hannibal’s eyes lit up immediately. “That is amazing,” he said quietly. He pressed his hand a little firmer, and Will didn’t object in the slightest. They sat quietly for a few minutes until the kicks faded away, the child apparently going back to rest.

“Thank you,” Hannibal said, his voice sincere as he returned to his chair. Seeing the happy look on Hannibal’s face, Will nodded, and quietly vowed to let Hannibal feel whenever the child was being active. It really was…only right. And he found that he had no problem with the idea.

He desperately wanted…. _needed_ …Hannibal to be a good parent to the child. Will still doubted his ability, and realized that he was relying on the demon to be there for both the child…and Will.

And deep down, he knew that Hannibal would keep his word; he _would_ be there for Will and for their child.

It was a very good night.

TBC…..

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the long spell between chapters. Arg! Real Life.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will accepts things. Hannibal spoils him even more. The calm before the storm……

*****

Will Graham was many things. He was incredibly brilliant, and yet naïve. Stubborn and determined, and yet shy, not one to voice his opinions often. Able to see into the minds of killers, but gentle himself. Pure empathy for everyone else, but convinced he himself was unlikeable. He was a contradiction, and he had always sort of preferred it that way. It kept folks away.

But one thing that Will never been good at was holding grudges.

That was not to say that he was a pushover in any way. Will had taken stands on issues all his life, and he had some very firm beliefs. His being able to see _why_ a killer did something did not mean that Will _agreed_ with it. He knew that many in the lab had trouble seeing that distinction. He didn’t hold it against them; Will had trouble himself.

But any moral debates he’d had in the past paled in comparison to Doctor Demon Hannibal Lecter. Will simply didn’t know what to think….and even more importantly, what to _feel_.

He knew that Hannibal loved him, and the child Will was carrying. It was why Hannibal had done all this. Will didn’t like what Hannibal had done – essentially forcing him – but he had been completely truthful when he said that he did not hold it against an innocent child.

Will tried to take emotion out of the equation, and look at things from a semi-objective standpoint. Difficult to do, but he tried.

Fact: Will was loved. Hard as it was to believe, he had actually realized it was true. He was cherished, in fact, and he knew that the child would be equally treasured. He had no doubts in that area at all.

Fact: Will had never in his wildest dreams thought about he would be forcibly impregnated (who would think of such things?)….but…he had dreamed of having children once, and had long ago given up on that dream.

Fact: Will had lost some of his freedom…but…he was gaining much in return. And was it really ‘freedom’ he had lost, or just pride? This was the hardest part.

Will was also fiercely proud; downright defiantly so, although he hid it well. He didn’t feel like he deserved rich things, and felt totally inadequate, yet he was also proud of what he had accomplished. When it came right down to it, it was Will’s pride that was wounded by the situation.

He was smart. He was capable. He didn’t want to be treated like some….fragile teacup. Like Jack had regarded him.

So when Hannibal brought him gifts, Will had a difficult time at first accepting them and being gracious, although part of him argued that it was only fair to have some whims catered to since he had been forced into this crazy situation. When Hannibal spoiled him with delicious meals and foot rugs, and bath salts, Will saw them as payback, but kept his good manners and thanked the demon.

His pride had taken a serious blow, but he was being to realize that pride was not all that it was cracked up to be.

And he had never been happier or healthier.

Fact: He would return to teaching, just like he wanted, and not have to go into the field constantly. Exactly what he wanted.

Fact: He would have a _child_ , something he had given up dreaming of long ago. And the child would be loved and treasured by both parents. He knew it would not be the broken, wandering home of his childhood.

On the other hand….

Fact: Hannibal was the Chesapeake Ripper….someone Will had once vowed to hunt down. Oh, yes, he was also a demon. Mustn’t forget that fact.

Will’s head hurt.

He had made a pact with a demon – literally. Will even accepted and believed that Hannibal was honoring his promise to not hurt the innocent, and was helping Will and the team to find those who did. Will could never bring himself to _agree_ with what Hannibal did….but could he accept it?   There was a difference. Even Will acknowledged that.   Could he trust Hannibal to not hurt the innocent, to not make Will hurt anyone….to love their child and do what was best for them?

Will had already accepted that…and all that it meant. Hannibal was honest and frank that Will…and the child…needed….a certain diet. Will still wanted to vomit at some meals, but he never did, and he realized that he _liked_ the food. Even knowing what it was.

Hannibal didn’t hurt the innocent. Will believed that, and he had to cling to it. It didn’t mean that he had to like and agree with what Hannibal did. It just made it easier to eat sometimes.

And he realized that Hannibal had actually made things quite easy for Will, even from a moral standpoint. Will _couldn’t_ tell anyone what Hannibal did. He was compelled to keep the doctor’s secrets forever.

Convenient. And yet….also nice.

Will’s head kept hurting, and Hannibal made him go to bed early two nights in a row, even taking away his computer and insisting on bringing Will a warm washcloth soaked in lavender water to cover his eyes.

One thing about the house confinement was that Will had plenty of time to think…too much time, really. He went back to enjoying his new relaxed routine and stopped trying to analyze everything. He had found that he loved having time to relax, a concept that he had never considered before. Between spending time with the dogs, reading, becoming addicted to a few television shows, and working on his lures or enjoying gifts that Hannibal brought, his days were full. For the first time since he was a child, Will didn’t have to _worry_ about so much.

And he loved it.

Hannibal had been right; Will had come to not only reluctantly accept this new situation, but he loved it. He was thrilled (and terrified) about the child, determined to be a good parent. He had perhaps been a touch in love with Hannibal before, and now those feelings were starting to come back.

Will didn’t say anything, and neither did Hannibal, but things simply became easier between them, Will finally relaxing. Hannibal might have acted a bit smug when Will turned his emotional corner, but refrained from boasting about it. Will just smiled, and sweetly asked Hannibal to bring home peppermint ice cream after going through the drive thru at the hot dog place. Hannibal tried to weakly counter that he could make far better food, but Will claimed that only the Hot Dog Palace dogs would settle his cravings, and Hannibal had no choice but to get his pregnant mate what he wanted, though the doctor did insist on keeping the processed food to a minimum, and then Will had to eat extra servings of healthy food the next day.

Sometimes, being pregnant was _fun_.

But although it was secretly enjoyable to watch Hannibal plate fast food, Will did muse that the pregnancy had its downside as well. He was exhausted and while most of the morning sickness did abate, he still had to be cautious, never knowing what might set off his stomach. Finding a comfortable position was an adventure at times, and Hannibal added back rubs to the nightly routines, his strong hands relaxing tense muscles and nerves. Hannibal doted on him, even when kicks or upset stomach woke Will at night.

Will sighed, putting aside the book he was trying to read. The baby was kicking away, obviously wanting attention, and Will decided he might as well stop ignoring it, rubbing gingerly at his side. Beside him in bed, Hannibal smiled, lowering his own book.

“The child is kicking again?”

“Kicking away,” Will confirmed. At least it wasn’t the middle of the night; they had turned in only half an hour before. The leather reading chairs in the study and library were certainly comfortable enough, but since Hannibal had started insisting that Will rest and keep his feet up more, they had fallen into a habit of going to bed early and reading there for an hour or so. Will tended to doze off anyway, and Hannibal would simply move his glasses to a safe spot and turn off the lights.

It was a clear measure of Will’s trust and acceptance that he no longer thought twice about sleeping next to the demon, even cuddling down for comfort and enjoying his rest. Will still felt plenty awkward about his body in general, especially now, and forbid Hannibal from “assisting” him in the tub or shower, but had no issue with Hannibal resting a hand gently on the distended stomach now to feel the latest kicks.

“A football player, most definitely.” Hannibal sounded pleased.

Will narrowed his eyes even as he settled happily back against Hannibal, letting the older being gently rub his stomach. “American football,” he said. “Not soccer.”

There was a soft snort of amusement. “But what if it’s a girl? As far as I know, girls are not allowed to play American football. Truly unfair. Thus _football_ – ‘soccer’ as you insist on calling it - is the only course for certain.”

“Actually I think there was a girl kicker on a state football team when I was in high school,” Will mussed. “If it is a girl, and she’s half as stubborn as you and me, I doubt anyone could stand in her way if she wanted to play football.”

“Um, no doubt,” Hannibal admitted. Will smiled and relaxed against the larger body as Hannibal moved one hand to gently massage his neck. “This does bring up an interesting point, William. Do you wish to know the sex of the child?"

Will turned his head so he could see Hannibal’s face, one eyebrow raised in surprise. "You can tell?"

"It is half my kind, Will, I can fully sense the presence of another. I have suspected the child’s gender for some time, but yes, I am now fairly certain."

Will frowned, immediately suspicious. "You are just dying to be able to finish the color scheme of the nursery, aren't you?"

A few weeks earlier, Hannibal had shown Will into the room upstairs that was designated to be the nursery. Will had kept to his habit of not entering rooms without Hannibal’s express invitation, and had been a bit nervous, which he knew immediately was foolish. The large, sunny room would be perfect for the child, close to their master suite and secure. A small army of contractors and designers had been going in and out of the room for a week, Will carefully hidden away behind a locked door in the master suite, napping while the work was done. To his credit, Hannibal had asked Will if he had any particular design wishes, and Will had laughed loud and long.

When he was done, Will assured Hannibal that he would not interfere with the decorating, other than asking that it be kept reasonable. Upon reflection, Will knew that he should have clarified what was reasonable. When allowed into the room, Will had found elaborate hand-crafted furniture costing more than his entire house in Wolf Trap and decorations and bedding fit for royalty. Will had overheard a few heated ‘discussions’ between Hannibal and the design team while resting, and openly feared for any decorator that clashed with the demon’s vision. Hannibal had been quite the demanding client, and Will had made a mental note to send a thank you card to the poor contractors and designer….if they survived.

Most of the nursery was done in friendly neutral shades of yellow and cream, but there were a few spaces that needed a finishing touch of color – blue or pink. Even Will had picked up on that detail, empathy for the designers working overtime. Now, Hannibal didn't look the least bit apologetic at the accusation.

“The overall decoration theme should blend with the rest of the house, while still of course being child-friendly,” the demon said primly. “And yes, it would be ideal to finish the color scheme ahead of time.”

“Of course,” Will muttered. He closed his eyes, enjoying the massage and pondering what to choose. Hannibal respectful waited quietly, letting the teacher mull over the options. “Color scheme be damned, I don’t what to know ahead. It’s like…..spoiling the surprise. I mean, on the one hand, I’ve had plenty of surprises, and please don’t give me any more. But this…..” Will paused, trying to find the words. “I think this is one surprise that I don’t mind experiencing.”

Hannibal chuckled kindly, both hands now gently massaging Will’s shoulders, the child having ceased its kicking for the moment. “I understand,” he assured the profiler. “I…and the color scheme…..can hold our secret for you.”

“Thank you,” Will smiled, and Hannibal nodded in pleased contentment.

Hannibal shut off the lights, and Will freely snuggled against the older being, turning around so he could press his cheek against Hannibal’s chest….and the massage could continue on his back. Sleepily, Will was only vaguely aware that he happily wrapped his arms around the demon’s waist, enjoying the comfort and cuddling.

“You said you could sense your kind. What is your kind?” he asked idly, eyes closed in enjoyment.

“Very old, and very rare, even in the old days. There are few of us, and I had always thought that I would not have a child to continue our race.”

“Why didn’t you? Have a child, I mean.”

“I had not met you yet.”

Will sniffed at the flattery, but he knew Hannibal was being sincere.

“You keep saying that your kind are old. Are you immortal?”

“No, just long lived, compared to Humans. As I suspect that you will be as well.”

“What?” Will frowned, but kept his eyes closed, not upset enough to bother disturbing his impending sleep.

Hannibal smiled. “Why did you grow your bread?”

“Because I look about 21 without it. It’s embarrassing getting carded by one of my students who works part-time at a liquor store,” Will yawned.

“Yet you are nearly 40, Will. You too will live longer than a mere Human.”

“Oh.” For some odd reason, Will sleepily pondered identify theft. “That is going to be complicated, isn’t it?”

“Perhaps more difficult than in the past, but still accomplished easily enough. I will teach you, and our child, of course.”

“Alright.” Will was so content and comfortable, that he would agree to anything, and didn’t bother questioning a thing. Hannibal chuckled quietly at the rare open acceptance from his mate. A pliant Will was amusing and simplified things to be sure, but Hannibal found that he preferred his usual fiery match. He had waited not just for a perfect mate physically, but one that would match him intellectually as well. He had indeed nearly given up when he had sensed the presence of the young one.

Will sighed as he happily fell into sleep, and Hannibal smiled as he pressed a gently kiss on the forehead. “Rest well, my love. We will soon have our hands full, I fear.”

TBC….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU to everyone for all the kind Kudos and comments. Guess what is going to happen next? :-)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday!

*****

Winter firmly descended upon Baltimore, and Will was glad to be snug in the house. He had always liked the isolation that snow tended to grant, especially out in the country, but he found that Hannibal’s house provided an equally secure spot. He enjoyed his time, resting and puttering with his fishing lures or reading and keeping the dogs entertained.

He also had time to write, and wrote up some new monographs and papers, which were received with enthusiasm at the Bureau. Jack continued to email him case files from time to time, and Will enjoyed the intellectual challenge. It finally seemed he had found a decent balance between his teaching and consulting. He teased Hannibal about having to constantly re-compel Jack, and the demon dryly acknowledged that it was indeed difficult to keep the agent from bothering Will too much.

Hannibal estimated that the pregnancy was down to its last month, and the time moved slowly for Will. On the one hand, he was more than ready to stop being pregnant, but also still a bit terrified at being a parent. Especially to a child that was more than half-demon. Hannibal had to reassure him over and over that all would be well, and the child would appear fully Human.

“Will it have empathy like I do?” Will questioned worriedly one night. He knew that Hannibal hated it when Will cursed the questionable talents he had been born with.

“I’m sure it will have some gifts,” Hannibal answered. “Between my abilities and yours, it is to be only expected.”

Will grimaced, sincerely doubtful of using the term _gifts_. “Wonderful,” he muttered, picking another thread on the knit blanket that was covering his stomach and legs. They were settled in front of a comfortable fire, Hannibal massaging Will’s swollen feet.

Hannibal gently caught his hand, stilling the nervous habit. “It will be wonderful,” he said firmly. “We will teach the child how to control and use any talents for its benefit. And it will be healthy,” he added, reminding Will of Hannibal’s firm belief that much of Will’s instability had come from lacking the ‘proper nutrition’ his heritage required.

The teacher managed a nervous nod. He doubted he would ever be at all comfortable when discussing Hannibal’s idea of a proper diet, but he had made a bit of peace with it over time. There really was nothing he could do about it, and worrying only made the situation worse.

“And now,” Hannibal said, finishing his massage, ‘I think a cup of tea, and then bed is in order, yes?”

Will pondered that for a moment. “Cookies,” he countered. “The kind from the store, not your homemade stuff.” Hannibal’s homemade desserts were delicious, of course, but Will had been craving a certain store brand and flavor for the past month when it came to cookies, and nothing the demon said or did could change the younger being’s mind.

Hannibal looked pained, but dutifully fetched a small portion of the requested desert, the poor cookies looking terribly out of place on a china plate. Will gleefully made a note to put in a fast food order again soon.

Will was confined to bed the next day when his pulse and blood pressure were not to the demon’s liking, and Will tried to be mature about it. It was difficult when Hannibal decided that Will needed to spend the rest of the pregnancy in bed, with only a few supervised trips outside the bedroom, but he reluctantly accepted that it was best for the child. Hannibal carried him downstairs a few times a day so Will could rest on the couch and see the dogs, but otherwise, he was firmly restricted.

Hannibal took a break from his practice, officially saying that he was going to try to fly to Europe to meet up with Will, and spent the last weeks of the pregnancy at home with the profiler. Will was grateful for the company and attention. It made the time go by faster. When he couldn’t rest, the child’s kicking keeping him awake, they would gently banter possible names back and forth, it soon developing into a sort of challenge game with obscure names and ancient meanings. Hannibal hinted that it would be far easier to choose names if Will would let him reveal the child’s gender, but Will flatly refused. Hannibal honored his promise, and suggested an equal number of male and female names.

Will overcame some of his shyness and let Hannibal assist him with taking a long bath at night, the warm whirlpool tub working marvels on his sore legs and back. Hannibal insisted on helping him get in and out of the tub, holding his arm, saying they could not risk Will slipping, and though it was embarrassing, Will managed to survive, even when Hannibal washed his hair.

It was actually nice.

Despite everything, Will figured that he was as ready as he was even going to be. It was just a matter of waiting now.

Will woke from a light doze when Hannibal gently touched his hand. He yawned and shifted as best he could in the large bed, sleepily wondering what was going on. Hannibal had risen a few hours or so earlier, and tucked the covers back around Will, whispering for him to go back to sleep, which the profiler had easily obeyed.

“Will,” Hannibal sat on the bed beside him, one hand gently carding through the sleep-tangled curls. He was smiling, and Will raised an eyebrow in sleepy question. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.

“It’s okay,” Will yawned. “I was just being lazy.” Hannibal nodded, and continued his gentle petting of Will’s hair, one hand now lightly stroking Will’s arm. Will tilted his head in question, wondering what was going on. He was comfortable enough now with Hannibal’s touches, but the demon usually kept them a bit more restrained. Will just laid curiously, calmly waiting for the older being to speak.

“I think, my love, that it is time,” Hannibal finally said.

Time? Will frowned, puzzled, and then it hit him. It was _time_.

“N-now?” he stammered. He could feel his pulse rate jump through the ceiling, his eyes darting around nervously.

“Indeed,” Hannibal nodded, his voice calm and understanding. “Your body and the child are saying it is time for the birth. Our child is very eager to meet you today.”

“Oh.” Will blinked, trying to get over his shock. It was ridiculous; he had waited months for this moment, and now he felt completely panicked at the prospect of the child actually being born.

Hannibal kept up his soothing caresses, calming Will gently. “We have discussed this, remember, my dear one. You will sleep during the surgery, no pain at all, and in a few hours’ time, our child will be born. When you awake, we will have our perfect child with us. All will be well.”

Will took a deep breath, trying to calm his ragged breathing before a panic attack could start. Hannibal’s touch kept him grounded and he finally nodded.

“A-all right,” he managed to say. There was really nothing he could do; it was all up to Hannibal now, and he trusted the demon.

Hannibal cupped his face gently, and then bent down to kiss Will’s forehead, loving and reassuring. It was the first time he had kissed Will since the night the baby was conceived, and Will managed a small smile. It was ironic; asleep for the conception, and now asleep for the delivery. He supposed it was only logical. And in truth, he didn’t want to be awake.

Hannibal just sat quietly with him for a bit longer, giving Will a few moments to get his wits about him. “I have taken care of the dogs already,” Hannibal said softly, assuring Will. “They are fine for the day.”

Will sighed. “Thank you,” he whispered. He thought about asking to see them, and quickly dismissed it. He trusted that Hannibal had made sure they were safe. Will took a deep breath, and then made himself relax, giving Hannibal a shaky nod. There was no point in waiting any longer.

Hannibal smiled, and then picked up a small teacup, one arm going around Will’s shoulders to lift him slightly. Will accepted the warm drink, reminded again about the night the child was conceived. “I don’t want to sleep for a full day again,” he said as Hannibal laid him back down.

There was a quiet chuckle of understanding. “You will not,” Hannibal promised. “You will meet our child by this evening.”

“Good.” Will grasped one of Hannibal’s hands, holding it tightly. Hannibal smiled, clasping it in return, imparting his strength and calm. His fingers began gently massaging Will’s temples, compelling him tenderly.

“Sleep now, my dear. When you awake, we will have our perfect child. For now, sleep without fear, and have only good dreams of our child.”

Will smiled, then closed his eyes, letting himself fall under Hannibal’s spell. The last thing he felt was another kiss to his forehead, and then he was in safe, peaceful, sleep.

*****

Will drifted, reluctant to leave this warm and comfortable place he was currently residing in. He could hear soft music playing, and had to smile. Hannibal had somehow become a believer of the Baby Mozart school of child psychology, and classical music filled the house most hours of the day when the doctor was home. Will enjoyed it as well, and knew that Hannibal had always listened to such music, but he still had to tease the demon.

He fell back asleep for a time, and when he awoke again, the music was different. He shifted, one of his arms falling to his stomach, and memories started to come back. Still under the calming influence of the drugs, he slowly opened his eyes, blinking in the soft lit room.

“Will?” The profiler turned his head, and saw Hannibal sitting on the edge of the bed beside him again. For a moment Will wondered if he had been dreaming, but glancing down at his stomach, he realized that it had really happened. He was still more than half-asleep, but he was aware that the child had been born.

“Everything is well, my love,” Hannibal assured him, smiling as one hand gently stroked Will’s face. “The child is born and you are both doing well. There were no complications at all. Sleep a bit longer, and then there is someone who wants to meet you.”

Will sighed, wanting to wake up, but the drugs kept him deeply relaxed and he wasn’t able to argue. Sleeping some more did sound very good at the moment. There was just one thing though….

“Boy or girl?” he whispered.

Hannibal smiled, looking proud. “We have a son,” he answered, his voice catching with an emotion that Will had not heard before from the demon. “He is absolutely perfect, as are you, my love. Thank you for this gift.”

A boy. Will smiled as sleep re-claimed him. “Football,” he murmured happily. “American.”

Hannibal laughed, placing a soft kiss to the dark curls. “As you wish,” he agreed.

*****

Will turned his head toward the sound of humming and opened his eyes to see a small cradle by the reading table and chairs, Hannibal sitting beside it. It took a moment for the older being to realize he had more than an audience of one, and smiled as he stood up and came to the bed. “How do you feel?” he asked, brushing back the dark curls from Will’s face.

“A little achy, I guess, but alright.” Will looked anxiously at the cradle, eager to see what was inside it. “Can I---“

“Of course.” Hannibal shifted a few pillows behind Will’s back to help him sit up just a tiny bit, and then returned to the cradle, picking up a small white bundle. A moment later, he was lowering their son into Will’s arms. “He is perfect in every way,” Hannibal murmured in assurance, smiling.

Will gulped, seeing the tiny face for the first time. The baby was…..perfect. There was simply no other word for it. Nervous, Will held perfectly still, terrified of moving and somehow hurting the small life in his arms; he could barely even breathe Hannibal smiled kindly, sensing his unease and fear.

“He won’t break,” he said softly, gently easing Will’s arms to relax, showing him how to hold their son. Will let out a huff of laughter, trying to be comfortable.

“He’s so tiny,” he whispered, amazed. Unbidden and unaware, a few tears came to his eyes and he studied the tiny person they had created. Hannibal gently wiped the tears away with his thumb.

“Actually, he is a very normal weight and length. All babies seem so small at birth, but his lungs are quite strong, believe me.”

Will smiled, beginning to relax. “Crying and I already slept through it?” he tried to joke. His heart felt far too big to be constrained to his chest; emotions he had never felt before flooding through him. This was love…and fierce protection.

“Oh yes, and I duly noted it,” Hannibal answered, looking amused. “You are forgiven this time, however.” He pressed a kiss to Will’s head, proving he was teasing. “You needed the rest, and our son was appeased with his first bottle. He has quite the appetite already.”

Hannibal stretched out beside Will on the bed, pulling his mate and their son into his arms, and Will simply wanted time to stop, letting the demon shelter him and their son. Nothing had been more perfect in his entire life. They quietly marveled at their son for a time, simply watching him sleep, words not needed between them.

“What shall we name him?” Hannibal finally asked.

Will looked down, suddenly shy. “I do have a name in mind, if you like it, that is,” he said. Hannibal smiled, merely raising an eyebrow, waiting for Will to speak. “I think….Kaspar,” Will whispered, uncertain how Hannibal would feel about the name.

“Kaspar….” Hannibal considered it for a moment. “Persian for treasure, yes?”

Will nodded. “We will treasure him, won’t we?”

Hannibal smiled, pressing another kiss to Will’s hair. “We will indeed. It is a perfect name for him. Thank you for this treasure, William.”

More tears filled his eyes, and all Will could do was nod. Hannibal kissed them away now, and Will made no objection.

Kaspar started to stir, making a demand known, and Will froze, terrified that he had done something wrong. Hannibal just chuckled and brought over a small bottle from the reading table. Will looked at it nervously, but saw to his relief that the clear bottle was filled with normal white formula. He tried to hand the baby back to Hannibal, but the older being shook his head, lying back down with them and showing Will how to hold the bottle to feed their child. After a few minutes of loud fussing, the baby finally accepted the bottle and settled down to his serious business of eating.

Will sighed in relief, part of him proud that he was handling this so far. He looked back and forth between Hannibal and their son, nervous again, and Hannibal tilted his head in question.

“What are you thinking, my love?” Hannibal asked. Will started to shake his head, but Hannibal gently turned Will’s head to face him. “You know you can say or ask anything,” he prompted softly.

Lip bit in uncertainty, Will took a deep breath. “Will you teach him to hunt?” he asked softly. It may not have been the right time to question this already, but Will needed to know the answer. It was part of his child’s life, and from this moment on, Kaspar was Will’s priority.

Hannibal considered the question seriously, knowing what Will was asking. “It may be in his nature,” he finally cautioned. “And I cannot prevent that if it’s so. But I promise that I will not encourage it, and if the instinct does develop, I will enforce strict rules.” He touched the dark hair on the tiny head. “It will be years before we need to address that, my love. Please put your mind at ease.”

Will chewed his lip some more, and then nodded, accepting the answer. He trusted that Hannibal would do as he promised, and never let any harm come to his family. And he trusted Hannibal’s word about the _extent_ of his hunting. Will firmly put that aside for now, concentrating on their son.

He drifted off again along with the baby, and when Will next woke up Hannibal was standing by the windows, looking at something outside. Kaspar was in his cradle beside the bed, and Hannibal smiled as he handed the sleeping baby back to his younger parent.

“Will you be alright for a moment? I need to go get something.”

“Yeah,” Will decided. He was nervous, but he was already a touch more confident holding their son; at least as long as he was lying down. Hannibal chuckled quietly, and pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead and then to Will’s before leaving.

Will took the opportunity to study the tiny babe again as he slept. He knew that coloring could certainly change, but Kaspar had a great amount of hair, unusual for a newborn, and so far it promised to be dark. And if he was not mistaken, it was definitely curly. Will sighed.

“I’m sorry, little man,” he told his son.

A minute later Hannibal retuned, and smiled at the sight of the two of them. “Will, I believe that you have some company.”

“What?” Will had no idea what to think. Who in Heaven’s name would Hannibal be allowing in their home now?

Before he could panic, there was the sound of paws on wood and carpet, and a moment later all seven dogs trotted into the bedroom. Will held back a snort of laughter, not wanting to wake the baby, but smiled broadly at the pack. “Seriously?” he asked in complete surprise. “You’re letting them in here?”

“I did once promise that they would be allowed in the house on special occasions,” Hannibal answered. “I cannot think of anything more special than this.” He frowned at Bella, who was looking a little too interested in the bed. “Although, only for a short time,” the demon added firmly.

Will chuckled, and gestured as best he could for the pack to come to the bedside. They gathered around curiously, sniffing their master and the strange thing in his arms. Will smiled at them, feeling proud.

“Everyone, this is Kaspar,” he said softly, making the proper introductions. “Kaspar, this is everyone.” Winston woofed once, and Will smiled. “That’s right.”

*****

A loud crying woke both men and Hannibal went to fetch the bottle after helping Will to the rocking chair that had been placed in the master suite. Will sighed as he nervously held the newborn.

“Hey,” he said quietly, trying to sooth his son. “Twelve hours old and already making demands? Is this the way it’s going to be from now on?” It might be a good thing that Will was experienced at dealing with insomnia. “Come on now, it’s alright. Food is on the way.”

Kaspar wiggled, and his eyes opened, looking for the source of the familiar voice. Dark eyes met light ones, and Will gasped. He had never seen anything so clearly, so perfectly before. Will froze, entranced at the vision, and neither he nor Kaspar broke the gaze until Hannibal lightly touched Will’s arm, bringing his mate and their son back to the present. Will looked up at Hannibal, seeing the older being kneeling beside the chair, and he smiled, tears of happiness running down his face.

Hannibal wiped the tears away, his expression intense as he looked between the man and the infant. “What have you seen, Will?” he asked quietly.

Will smiled more, and then leaned forward to kiss Hannibal. “He will be wonderful,” he breathed simply.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: All thanks goes to Nightmare_Child who allowed me to pretty much steal their idea. You are amazing!! Your generosity is fantastic and you have been such a help.
> 
> Hugs and Great Thanks to everyone who gave such kind and helpful comments, and encouragement and Kudos. It has been awesome. 
> 
> I am thinking of doing one more little part…..a “missing scene”. At the time, it didn’t seem to fit or want to be written, but now it’s talking to me (naturally). We shall see.
> 
> It has been so much fun rediscovering my love of writing with this fandom. I am always open to story ideas :-) If you have an idea for a Hannibal/Will story, send it on and we shall see what the muse comes up with!


	15. Missing Scene Ficlet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Would take place between Chapters 8 and 9….after the conception from Hannibal’s Point Of View. And the last bit would take place within Chapter 9. Didn’t seem to fit at the time, but I decided to write it once the main story was completed.  
> Just wanted to see Hannibal taking care of Will after the conception…and one last view of Will’s reaction.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Aftercare, Stitches

*****

Hannibal sighed, feeling his body shift rapidly back into its human form. After so many years, his human appearance was an easy second nature to him, but still, it was always refreshing to regain his own original form, even just for a short time. Ordinarily he would savor his natural appearance for a while longer, but tonight he had to return to his human body quickly. He was needed.

_Will._

Transformation complete, Hannibal used his softer, gentler, human hands to touch his newborn mate, checking him over carefully. Will was boneless, deeply asleep from the tea and Lecter’s guidance, and the demon was grateful. He had known their first joining would be violent as he could not hold himself entirely back, and examining the younger being, he winced at the damage to the pale and fragile skin.

Satisfied that Will was not in any immediate danger and was still safely unaware, Hannibal quickly pulled a heating blanket and cushion that he had placed underneath the bed earlier in the day, and then transferred Will to the makeshift pallet on the floor. The bed sheets were torn and bloody, and would need to be changed before it was a fit place for his mate to rest again. Once Will was on the pallet and covered with a blanket to keep him warm, he fetched a basin of water and soft towels, retrieved the medical kit from the ensuite, and set to work.

He had anticipated the bites and scratches and cleaned them all methodically, bandaging when necessary. The long scratches around Will’s hips were especially deep but fortunately could be tended with butterfly bandages and had already stopped bleeding. Hannibal expected that with Will’s accelerated healing most of the wounds would be gone in a few days and no longer marring the soft skin. Still, he berated himself as he cleaned the sheer number of marks he had made. It was truly uncalled for.

Hannibal had debated the idea of taking Will in his Human form once….or even more times….before conceiving their child, thinking it could “ease” Will’s experience. But deep down, Hannibal had known that he would not be able to control himself. He had waited so long to find his perfect mate, he knew that base instincts would drive him. It had been a difficult decision, but Hannibal knew that he could not guarantee his behavior, and he refused to take the chance that he would revert to his true form with Will.

Now, tending to the bites, cuts and bruises, Hannibal knew that he had been right to make Will unaware during this coupling. Even if Hannibal had started with the intention of keeping to his Human form, he knew that he would have shifted at some point during the act, and Will would have been hurt. No, it was truly best in the long-run that it had been done this way.

He tended to the cuts and bites, and then turned his attention to Will’s most private area, carefully rolling Will onto his stomach and examining him carefully. The tearing was not as severe as he had expected, but still, a few stitches were necessary. He worked quickly and then applied the healing ointment carefully, covering all the injuries that Hannibal had inflicted upon the delicate younger being. These wounds would be slower to heal, and Hannibal made a note to re-check them every few hours. He would not allow Will to awake until he was satisfied that the worse of the pain and discomfort would be past. He could grant Will that much mercy, given what the younger being was giving him in return.  He promised himself that Will would never be harmed by his hands again or be in pain by his making.

Once all the wounds were tended, Hannibal got fresh water, adding a soothing lavender oil to the basin. He then bathed his mate carefully, spending extra time on the dark curls, washing them tenderly with moist towels and a comb, before applying lotion to the slender body and then wrapping Will safely up in a fresh blanket, ensuring that he was warm and comfortable. He did keep one arm free, inserting an IV line into the fine vein in Will’s right hand, and administered an antibiotic and sedative with a syringe before he safely tucked the arm back under the cover of the blanket. The rest could for a few minutes now that he knew Will was safe.

He quickly stripped the bed, bringing out the new, high quality sheets and pillows that he had kept in the closet. Only once he was certain that the entire bed was fresh and clean did he gently pick up his mate, and move him back into the warm safely of the covers. Will looked so small and fragile against the dark sheets, and Hannibal sighed, truly distressed that he had been the cause of such injury. But there had been no other way for their child to be conceived. He set up the IV pole and bag, and started a drip of fluids and nutrients. Will – and the child – would need the nourishment.

Finally satisfied that Will was safe and comfortable, Hannibal applied himself to one more important task. He dearly wanted to take a shower and clean himself, but he had to think of Will…..and others…first.

He dressed simply and went downstairs. It was just past dawn, and the dogs were milling around, waiting for their breakfast. They were clearly confused when Will did not appear, but let Hannibal feed them without complaint, especially when he gave them extra treats.

“Your master is well,” he told them when Winston looked at him suspiciously. “He needs to rest today but you shall see him tomorrow,” he promised. Hannibal cleaned up their messes from the night and made sure they had fresh water and their blankets were aired and laid out.

Only after the dogs were settled did Hannibal return to his bedroom. Checking that the IV line into Will’s hand was running smoothly, he finally indulged in a long hot shower, letting the water cleanse him thoroughly.

Naked, he pulled back the covers and laid beside Will, gathering his mate carefully into his arms, mindful of the many cuts and bruises and making certain that Will was warm and comfortable. Finally satisfied that Will was safe, Hannibal sighed and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him as well.

*****

He woke in the late afternoon and added a new IV bag to the line, deciding to keep Will asleep through the night and until the next day. It would give time for the wounds to start to heal, and Will would not be in such great pain. Hannibal gently brushed his fingertips along Will’s temples, checking that he was sleeping without dreams. Even after months of Hannibal providing proper nutrition and ensuring that Will rested, the profiler’s body was still recovering from the years of stress both physical and mental, and it was remarkably easy to keep Will deeply asleep.

Hannibal dressed and checked on the dogs again, giving them some nearly unheard of afternoon treats. He even lowered himself to throw a few toys about for them, which cemented their approval of the older being. Will was their master, of course, and had their complete loyalty and devotion, but Hannibal had proved himself to be worthy of second in ranking in terms of their attention. Hannibal dryly mussed that he should be flattered.

After fixing a meal for himself, Hannibal started a soup stock; something light on the stomach but still very nutritious that Will could have the next day. It was important to ensure that Will and the child now had the finest of food. He went through his rolodex, and made a mental appointment to go hunting to keep the larder stocked.

After some internal debate, he decided upon a particularly annoying local community watch guard, who had appointed themselves Lord High Commander of all that went on in the neighborhood. Since this person had also at least two (that Hannibal knew of) mistresses, and the legal wife was quite aware of the ‘arrangement’, the warden would not be missed for some time - most would assume he was off with one of his _amours_ – and it would never be marked as one of the Ripper’s kills. Hannibal had made a difficult but determined decision to no longer display his kills; Will did not need any added cases. All of Lecter’s kills (and there had be many) were now classified as _missing_ and in no way connected to the Chesapeake Ripper.

Ah, the things that one did for love. But it did also encourage Hannibal to use every bit of the victim, and not let anything go to waste.

His schedule for the next few days set, Hannibal returned to the bedroom to check on his young mate. He was pleased to see that many of the cuts and bites were indeed already healing, and thanked whatever unique combination of ancestry that had given Will his gifts. Still, it was best to keep him asleep until the next day. Will would still be sore in many areas, but Hannibal weighed that against the teacher’s anticipated anger at realizing he had been kept asleep, and decided that Will would far rather be allowed to awake.

Hannibal ran a warm bath, then stripped and carried Will to the tub, balancing the younger being easily as he settled into the tub, holding Will in front of him, his back pressed safely against Hannibal’s chest, head resting on the demon’s shoulder. The huge tub was deep enough that Will almost floated, and Hannibal had to smile. Slowly, Hannibal bathed them both, enjoying the quiet time of just holding his new mate, feasting his eyes on the slim body that Will preferred to hide under horrible clothing.

Closing his eyes, Hannibal laid both his hands on Will’s stomach and concentrated. It was barely perceptible, on the very edge of even Hannibal’s senses, but….yes. There was just the tiniest flicker of a presence forming, growing stronger each hour. Hannibal kissed Will’s temple, rejoicing that soon they would have a new member of their family.

When the water began to cool, Hannibal took them from the tub, lying Will on a blanket of soft towels, and carefully drying him before checking all the bruises and cuts, applying ointment and fresh bandages where necessary. Then he reluctantly dressed Will in silk pajama bottoms, knowing that the teacher would be embarrassed – and livid - if he awoke nude, and took him back to bed.

Hannibal decided to run one more IV bag of fluids and nutrients for his mate, and then set about taking care of Will’s rather ragged finger and toe nails, making a note to take Will to his manicurist soon. He idly toyed with taking advantage of the rare opportunity of a docile Will to shave his beard, or at least trim it decently, but decided that was a liberty too far. And truthfully, Will was beautiful even with the scruff; in fact, it was part of his charm for Hannibal.

Satisfied that he had done all the grooming that Will would currently allow, Hannibal went back downstairs to feed the dogs their evening meal, and tidy the kitchen. The soup stock was carefully finished and stored so all it would need was re-heating, and Hannibal made some meal plans for the coming days while he ate a light dinner. After enjoying a glass of wine, he checked on the dogs for a final time, and then went to bed, again gathering Will against him protectively.

The next morning Hannibal removed the IV line after assuring himself that Will was comfortable and compelled his young mate to awaken when he was ready. He fed the dogs and then spent a few hours catching up on some house chores and his journals.

It was late morning when Hannibal tiled his head, alerted to a soft sound. Will was awake, and from the sounds of it, was getting out of bed. Hannibal shook his head as he made his way upstairs. His mate should not be out of bed yet, he should still be resting, but Will was so stubborn. Hannibal would get him back to bed immediately; tucked in and comfortable. Will needed to be pampered and comforted; he would no doubt be confused and frightened.

Hannibal had hoped to be there when the young one awoke, but perhaps it was good that Will had been given a bit of time to himself. He liked to be independent, after all. But now it was time for Hannibal to be there and take care of him. Will was fragile, and would need his support and comfort.

*****

Three minutes later, Hannibal was leaning against the bed, wheezing, trying to regain his breath, hands crossed protectively in front of himself. He wanted to check his jaw, fairly certain that at least one tooth was loose, but was afraid to uncover his more vulnerable parts. Will had slammed the bathroom door shut, but he could come out again any minute, ready for another punch or kick.

Hannibal was not taking any chances.

 

 


End file.
